Memories of the Lost
by DemonUntilDeath
Summary: When the tentei recover a precious and dangerous amulet, will the previous owner come back for it? And why can Koenma never tell the detectives about the bad guy's abilities before a mission? Warning: Yaoi
1. Nameless Memories

**Disclaimer: **I don't own much, and whatever it is that I do own, an anime series certainly isn't part of it.

**Note:** Well, I don't think I've got much to say…so…uh…there's no note.

**Summary: **When the tentai recover a precious and dangerous amulet, will the previous owner come back for it? And why can Koenma never tell the tentai about his abilities before a mission? Warning: Yaoi H/K and Ko/Yu!

**Warnings: **Yaoi content ahead. This means Male/Male relationships and implications. Double check the rating as it is definitely borderline PG-13, possibly escalating close to R for said implications.

-o-o-o-

**Memories Of the Lost**

_Chapter 1_

Nameless Memories

-o-o-o-

Silvery moonlight flickered softly through the forest, the silvery white and dark brown trunks of trees shining in the snowy surroundings. The hazy effect of the light around the clear air created a dream like image, surreal but perfect. Forest green birch leaves and skinny pine needles cast dancing shadows over the ground as singing birds nestled quietly in the still of the night.

In this perfect image of the world, what could go wrong?

-WHAM-

A resounding thud followed by an earsplitting crack echoed through the forest. The many birds took up a noisy flight, terrified as a singled tree, at least two feet in diameter, came crashing to the forest floor.

"Yusuke!" the deep red-haired human called to the fallen teen, who slid to the ground with a wheezing gasp of breath. Kurama ran over to him, his green eyes worried. Kneeling down, he helped the raven-haired teen stand on unstable feet.

The redhead turned at the sound of deep laughing. Their opponent stood mere feet from them, his head tilted to the side with a mocking smirk. His deep bluish-black hair hung over his shoulder, swaying in the light breeze.

Kurama could feel Yusuke swaying against him. Gently, he lowered the teen to the white and frozen ground, letting him lean his back against the cracked and broken trunk. Straightening back up, he glared at the still chuckling demon. Yusuke sat, dazed and trying to breath, as Kurama took several steps forward, a cold and icy look crossing his face.

"You have something of mine," the demon whispered through his mocking smile. Kurama could feel the amulet tucked in his sash, safely held by a vine. The mind demon smiled. "Give it to me."

"No," Kurama growled, taking his defensive stance. T he dark haired demon began to chuckle more. The fox stood his ground.

"You can not defeat me! Not even your yoko form could accomplish that!" the demon laughed out. Kurama's icy look did not waver.

"Do not underestimate me, Syunsuke."

The demon stopped laughing, yet the smile remained. His eyes flashed dangerously as he stepped towards Kurama. The fox did not move; Syunsuke took another step, slowly reaching the kitsune.

"You don't run. Are you foolish or do you know that you can not escape?" the demon asked quizzically, his voice soft and sounding simply curious, instead of the mockery Kurama knew him to be making. The kitsune did not relent, remaining in his defensive pose. Within his clenched fist was a single blade of grass, having grabbed it when he set Yusuke down.

Syunsuke smiled as he took another step forward, only a foot away from the fox. Kurama refrained from doing as instinct told him, maintaining his ground and not stepping back. The longhaired demon took the last step, closing the space between him and the youko. Kurama tried to keep his ki as a normal level as the blade of grass grew as sharp as any dagger.

"Give me back my amulet...or maybe I should look for it myself?" Syunsuke's hand reached out to Kurama's sash and he fingered a piece of it suggestively, feeling for the amulet. The smirk never left his face as his amused, and slightly lustful, eyes bore deep into Kurama's own.

"Get away from me," Kurama growled out in threatening tones. When Syunsuke failed to comply, he shoved away from the demon, pulling his weapon up to slash at the demon. Syunsuke leapt backwards just in time, his flowing blue robes now bearing a foot-long slash across the chest.

"Well, have a few tricks up your sleeves, do you?" Syunsuke asked as he held a hand to his chest, eyeing the now foot long grass sword. He continued speaking as he lowered his arm, standing up straight and walking towards the fox, "That one was close. However, you will not be able to surprise me again."

Kurama took a step back. He had hoped that attack would have at least wounded Syunsuke. With him in top shape and Kurama sustaining the wound to his stomach, the fox could not win.

The demon gave Kurama no more time to think as he stopped in front of the fox, having efficiently backed the kitsune against a tree.

"You are trying my patience, my little fox," Syunsuke whispered, his face not far from Kurama's. "Give me my amulet. You don't want me to use force on you."

"For the last time," Kurama began through clenched teeth, "Get. Away. From. Me!"

Before the fox could even move to fight back, Syunsuke had his arms pinned against the tree, pushing the soft skin into the hard bark. Kurama winced but showed no other sign of defeat.

There was always a way to win. There had to be a way to win.

"Fine. You think it so smart to cross my path, betray me, and defy my generosity in offering you go free? Then I shall show you my wrath, my little fox." Syunsuke released Kurama's arms only to place both his hands on either side of Kurama's face, three of his fingertips resting on the fox's temples. The kitsune's struggles were useless, the demon's grip firm.

"Goodbye, Kurama. When we meet again, I'm sure you won't be the same."

Kurama had no time to contemplate the demon's words as an immense pain filled his head. He shouted out at the sudden overwhelming feeling of nausea, the skull splitting stab of pain that never ended, and the pinpoints of a thousand knives shooting through his head and down his spine all at once.

His second scream echoed through the forest, birds up to nearly a mile away startled by the distant sound. Syunsuke relished in the screams of pain coming from the kitsune as he wriggled in the demon's grasp, trying desperately to tear those hands away from his head.

Closing his eyes, Syunsuke began to delve into Kurama's mind, enticing screams twice as pleasing from the redhead.

-o-o-o-

Kuwabara yawned as he trudged up the steps of the temple. _'Damn Koenma, making us get up so early to report. Wasn't it..._yawn_... enough for us to just steal the damn amu-thingy?'_

The orange-haired teen shook his head as he reached the last step. _'And damn him for making us meet at Genkai's temple. And damn Genkai for having so many steps to the temple!'_

Kuwabara started towards the temple, his complaining mood vanishing the instant he saw a flash of turquoise hair. "Yuuuukina!"

There was a pause as he jogged towards the temple door before Yukina's head popped into view, having doubled back when she heard Kuwabara's voice.

"Ohayo, Kazuma-kun," she greeted in her soft tones. "You are here very early this morning."

"Good morning, my sweet Yukina!" Kuwabara bawled out, eyes becoming innocently watery. "I just wanted to see yo-OW!"

"Shut up, Baka," growled a diminutive fire demon, sword in his right hand (sheath still on,) having successfully bashed Kuwabara over the head with it. He opened his angry red eyes and turned them away from the teen, whom was asking Yukina to heal the bump for him.

Kurama had yet to show, and they had arranged this meeting for seven o'clock. Yet it was already ten after. Hiei frowned. The detective was absent too. He rounded on Kuwabara.

"Oaf, have you seen Yusuke or the fox?"

"Hey, who you calling a- no...I haven't. That's funny, Kurama's usually the first one here for a meeting," Kuwabara answered, a look of general confusion and worry passing over his face.

Hiei nodded. "Yes," he said softly, too softly for Kuwabara to here, "that's what worries me."

-o-o-o-

"Where did that damn fox go?" Hiei growled, staring into the ningen house, the ningen room, the perfectly neat ningen bed that looked untouched throughout the night. "Where would he have gone if not home?"

Growling, Hiei turned and sped off in the direction of Yusuke's house. Jumping to the roof of the apartment, he jumped over the side (carefully inspecting the street below and nearby buildings for human eyes as his speed would be sufficiently decreased by the affects of gravity) and worked his way down to Yusuke's bedroom window, using the architecture in the building for hand and foot holds.

As he leveled himself with Yusuke's window, he peered inside to see the dark room, devoid off all living things, except for some mold growing on random objects littering the floor (. couldn't resist .)

Giving another growl, Hiei sped off back in the direction of the temple. Neither Kurama nor Yusuke's ki signatures were showing up anywhere nor could Hiei find a trace of their whereabouts.

Not a minute later, he appeared in front of Koenma and Botan, along with the Oaf, his sister, and Genkai. He shook his head and Koenma sighed, his worry showing through his eyes quite clearly. Botan looked down at the ground, unsure of what to do in such a situation.

"Alright," Koenma said softly, "we'll go back to where you four split up last night. We'll search from there."

The five of them agreed and took off through the woods, to a small clearing in a forest, many miles from the temple.

-o-o-o-

"_Kurama?" Yusuke shouted out over his shoulder as he ran, his three companions not far behind._

"_I have it, Yusuke," the fox replied but did not pause in his running, nor do anything else to prove the information._

_ Yusuke simply nodded and sped on faster, as fast as they could without leaving Kuwabara behind. This mission had not been their most difficult, but it certainly was not a piece of cake, as the saying goes._

_ Reclaiming the amulet from the demon Syunsuke had been no easy feat. He kept it constantly around his neck, never letting it leave his sight for an instant. _

_ So the plan they had come up with was based on the fact that they would have to distract him in a manner that he would not realize the amulet was missing. The only problem was the distraction._

_ Kurama had made it clear that he would take the job, despite Hiei's odd and upset behavior about it and Yusuke's uncertainty. But the fox won the argument with the well stated fact that he was the only one capable of distracting Syunsuke in the matter of which had been discussed._

_ Do not be mistaken; Kurama was not thrilled about this mission._

_ Seducing Syunsuke had been easy enough; even Kurama's human form had sufficed. Getting the amulet was also not as difficult as they had earlier predicted. In the moment of highest ecstasy, Kurama had simply switched the amulet with a copy that Koenma had given them, his thief like quickness and subtly proving crucial. _

_ It was the get away that was messy. _

_ Not only did Kurama not nothing to do with Syunsuke (the night having been business only, a job and nothing more) the fox wanted to get away as soon as possible, quite sick with himself over said night's events._

_ But the demon was not one to let go of such a "prize" so easily. The next morning, Kurama found it was difficult to get a moment away from Syunsuke. After declining three advances and a suggested shower together, he finally found several moments of peace as his opponent dawdled off to take the shower alone._

"_Yusuke?" his soft voice whispered through the com unit and his leader's response came immediately. _

"_What's happened? You were supposed to get out of their last night!" Yusuke whispered back, general concern and worry evident in his frantic tones._

"_I'm fine, but Syunsuke is...possessive, as many demons are. I couldn't get away. Look, Yusuke, I don't think I'm going be able to get out of here on my own. I hardly have the time to talk to you and Syunsuke will be back soon. I'm going to need some help."_

"_On our way!" Yusuke answered in an excited but relieved tone. This whole plan had gone against Yusuke's instinct and judgment. He tried everything he could think of to keep Kurama from having to go through with it, but there just hadn't been another way to get the amulet. _

_ Kurama sighed as he shut the com unit and tucked it safely away in his sash, along with the amulet. Not a minute later he felt strong, slightly damp, arms wrap around his waist and pull him back into Syunsuke's well-formed, and now bare, chest._

"_Hmmm, you smell so beautiful," he muttered, taking a deep breath of the rose scent Kurama gave off. The fox forced a smile and leaned against the demon, mentally cursing him to the deepest depths of hell. _

'_Come on, Yusuke,' he muttered in his own mind as the longhaired demon behind him began planting feathery kisses up and down his neck. Much longer and Kurama was not going to be able to keep up the act, bile already rising in his throat as memories of the events of the night before replayed in his mind._

'_Keep your focus,' he whispered in is mind. 'Ignore him, the others are on their way right now.'_

_ Indeed, as Syunsuke reached up a hand to pull Kurama's hair out of the way, exposing more of the luscious skin, a large explosion ripped through the palace. _

"_What the-" Syunsuke growled as he let go of Kurama. He looked towards the sound of the explosion, before turning back to Kurama. He planted a kiss on his lips, taking Kurama by surprise, as he did not have time to block it, nor prepare for it. "I'll be right back. Stay here, it's safer."_

"_Safer my ass," Kurama muttered as Syunsuke ran out the door, shirt in hand. The minute he did, Kurama dashed after him, keeping enough distance to avoid detection but close enough to follow. As he heard another explosion, much closer, he rounded a corner to enter a large, foyer like room. _

_ And there were his comrades. They stood, the three of them, all ready to fight Syunsuke, who stood not far in front of Kurama. However, as Yusuke's eyes shifted over to Kurama, the demon turned, eyes widening at the sight of his new "lover."_

"_Stay back, I'll handle these cretin!" Syunsuke growled protectively, turning back around to face Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei (all three of which were now fuming with hatred and anger (not to mention a weak stomach of the middle mentioned.) However, as he began to power up his energy, he froze. Looking down, his eyes locked on the false amulet and he shouted out in dismay, tearing it off of his neck. _

"_Where-"_

"_Are you looking for this?" Kurama asked coldly, Syunsuke turning at the sound. Clenched tightly in Kurama's hand was the long silver chain, the icy cold blue of the stone wrapping around it, winding up the chain from it's teardrop-like mass at the bottom. _

"_You!" Syunsuke hissed and charged Kurama._

"_Hiei!" the fox shouted, throwing the amulet slightly to the side. Hiei appeared seemingly out of thin air to catch it in his right hand. However, Syunsuke did not stop his charge._

"_You bastard!" he screamed out, raking his claws out at Kurama, striking him across the cheek and sending him flying back into the stone walls._

"_Kurama!" Yusuke screamed as he charged Syunsuke, fist charged. Kuwabara charged at alternate timings, beating down on the demon. Hiei appeared by Kurama's limp form; the broken and chipped stone blocks surrounding him. _

_ Gently, Hiei pulled the fox into a sitting position, the amulet gripped tightly in his right hand. Kurama opened a watery green eye, tears biting at them without his will as pain ripped at his stomach. He could feel his broken ribs, but that wasn't all._

_ Hiei's eyes opened wide at a dagger protruding from Kurama's stomach. Even he had not seen Syunsuke draw the knife, nor plant it in the fox's abdomen. Leaning down, the fire demon pulled it out, eliciting a moan from the fox. _

_ Kurama shut his eyes as the dagger slid free, pain shooting through this nervous system in waves, and the sound of the hilt hitting the marble floor rang in his ears. He opened both eyes, though, the green orbs going wide, as Hiei tucked something into his sash. "Keep it close."_

_ It was a whisper on the wind as Hiei disappeared, leaving Kurama leaning against the stone a foot from where he'd collided with it. The fox began working on standing up with as little movement to his stomach as possible as Hiei appeared in the middle of the fight with Syunsuke, joining._

_ Within minutes, without his amulet, the demon was overwhelmed and was pushed farther within the castle. As the fighters passed under the grand stairs leading to other parts of the castle, Yusuke shouted at them to get out._

_ And flee they had done. Syunsuke may not be as great and powerful without his amulet, but he was still a force to reckon with. The four, Kurama ignoring the pain and blood for the time being, fled from the castle, through the knotted and twisted woods of demon world, and into a portal, as quick as they dared._

-o-o-o-

"Look, this is where we left them," Kuwabara insisted, standing in a small clearing not far from the portal they had escaped through. "Yusuke insisted on getting home, and Kurama insisted on getting the amulet to spirit world, claiming that he'd visit Genkai about his wounds in the morning."

"Kurama never came to Spirit World. At least, not that anyone noticed," Koenma muttered. "And besides, waiting until the next morning to heal was not a wise decision. Doesn't sound like Kurama at all."

Hiei growled out, getting the company's attention.

"Kurama had just gone through one of the worst nights in his life, no doubt, and all for the sake for this dumb amulet. He didn't want to bother with healers; he didn't want to bother with fussing and worrying. He just wanted to go home."

Koenma stared at Hiei for a few seconds before he nodded and moved on to the next possibility. "Alright, let's trace their steps, then, and we'll try and find out what happened."

Although the snow was not fresh, footsteps could still be seen, one belonging to the detective, the other belonging to the fox. And so the troop moved through the woods, following the distant steps of their comrades.

After only a few minutes, with Hiei, their best tracker in the lead and looking for any sign of trouble, found what they were looking for. The others rushed ahead after him as he sped off in the direction of which he had seen something.

As the trailing five caught up with Hiei, they gasped. The forest had become a battlefield, several trees burned by what looked to be a shotgun firing and possible spirit gun blasts, along with mangled trees and deep gashes from a thick whip. They trailed their eyes over the once-peaceful area.

Yusuke was slouched against a tree, a trail of dried blood leading from the corner of his mouth. The tree he was leaning against had fallen back, no doubt from the force of his impact.

On the other side of the clearing, next to where Hiei now knelt, lay Kurama, a limp heap of a body. He was sprawled on his side, both hands near his head and a small, still flowing, trail of blood running from his ear.

Koenma and Yukina rushed over to Urameshi, Genkai going over to Kurama and Hiei. Kuwabara and Botan stood in horrid awe of the clearing.

"Do you think..." Botan did not finish her sentence. She didn't need to.

"Syunsuke," Kuwabara growled out, his fists clenched. "We should have just killed him!"

"We weren't technically allowed to kill him. He was not the main threat, just the amulet!" Botan whispered, her voice sorrowful as a tear escaped her eye. She brushed it away.

Yukina quickly healed Yusuke, the sound of bones reforming echoed through the forest, matched only by the sound of Kurama's bones doing the same under Genkai's careful treatment.

Koenma took his tunic in hand and carefully wiped away the trail of blood on the raven-haired teen. He looked gently over his koi's body, nothing else seemed to be wrong and Yusuke stirred as those thoughts crossed his mind.

"Yusuke?" Yukina and Koenma asked at the same time and the boy responded with a muffled moan. He peeled open one brown eye before both shot open, going wide.

"Syunsuke! He was here and- Kurama!" he tried to get up when Koenma gently pushed him back down, the teen groaning at his sore abdomen.

"Calm down, Yusuke," Koenma hushed the boy. "He's alright, Genkai and Hiei are taking care of it. Yukina just healed you, but you're going to still be sore."

Yusuke nodded, leaning his head back against the splintered trunk and closing his chocolate colored eyes. "That bastard came back..." he muttered and Koenma nodded.

"We know."

"Boys!" Genkai shouted out, capturing their attention (including Botan and Yukina's) "You may want to come over here."

"Kurama," Yusuke moaned and Koenma helped him get up. The two limped over to the stirring form of their friend.

Hiei was staring blankly at his friend, his red eyes dull as the blue light of his jagan flooded over the fox. He did not move as the others came to stand behind him and Genkai.

"What's wrong?" Kuwabara asked apprehensively. Genkai shook her head.

"Nothing that we can see, that's for sure."

"What?" Yusuke asked, not in the mood for riddles. He had one hell of a headache as it was.

"His physical wounds are healed, yet...something's not right about the way his ki is fluctuating. And he won't wake up," she explained. Several seconds later, Hiei replaced the bandana around his forehead, warding the jagan closed.

"We have a problem," he answered the questioning looks he was getting, his eyes reaming solely on Kurama.

"Yeah? What problem, Shorty?" Kuwabara asked in harsh tones, wanting, just for once, to get a straight answer.

Only Hiei didn't get the chance to reply as Kurama stirred, moaning slightly. Hiei immediately leaned in, followed by Genkai. As Kurama opened his crystal green eyes, the sight that welcomed him was Hiei's childish face and dark ruby red eyes.

"Hi-Hiei?" Kurama mumbled as he blinked. The fire demon nodded, allowing the corners of his mouth to twitch upwards in the beginnings of a smile. Kurama tried to sit up but stopped as his stomach muscles shouted out in protest.

"Kurama?" Yusuke asked. "How do you feel?"

A confused look passed over his features before Kurama, brow furled, answered in a slow and uncertain voice, "I've been better."

"Are you sure you're alright?" Kuwabara asked. The fox's confusion looked to be anything more than all right. Kurama turned his gaze on Kuwabara and those green eyes took on a blank look.

This time, puzzled confusion passed over his features. He blinked slowly as he tilted his head, looking Kuwabara in the eye as he gave his answer.

"Um...Who are you?"

-o-o-o-

_Chapter 1_

End

-o-o-o-

Yay! The first chapter is done.

**Author Notes:**

I had this chapter written completely out a full year ago...and then my computer deleted it. So I finally got around to re-writing it! Hope you guys like it.

_Distraction Scene: _Yes, Kurama did seduce and have sex with Syunsuke. This was undoubtedly the best distraction one could think of, and there would be little chance that the demon would notice Kurama's switch of the amulet.

If you're going to ask, don't bother. Yes, Kurama was bottom; he had to play submissive for the trick to work. (You perverts, wanting all the details!)

_Syunsuke_: I feel the necessecity to tell you all that no, I do not like the name Syunsuke. I thought it up a year ago, for god knows what reason, and put it in this story for Kami-sama knows what reason.

_...Who are you?..._ Yes, as cliché as it might seem, Kurama has lost bits of his memory. Only, this is not the typical, traditional, and boring amnesia, as you hopefully picked up.

**End Author's Notes**

Please review!

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	2. Memories Lost

**DISCLAIMER**: Same as last time except now I own Syunsuke and thirteen cents! YAY! I'm rich! I'm rich!

**Note**: Hey guys.

Thank you everyone who reviewed!

-o-o-o-

_**Memories of the Lost**_

_Chapter 2_

Memories Lost

-o-o-o-

"Um…who are you?" Kurama asked as he blinked up at Kuwabara. The onlooker's jaws practically dropped to the ground.

"Kurama…that's Kuwabara!" Yusuke practically shouted. Kuwabara and Hiei looked up to him and then back down to the fox, who was shaking his head. Koenma glanced at Yusuke, then back down to Kurama.

What had Syunsuke done?

"Kurama, do you know who I am?" Hiei asked as he grabbed the fox's left hand and gave it a light squeeze, his right hand going to the fox's forehead. He felt like a fool but he put that aside, knowing that Kurama needed his help right now.

The fox didn't have a fever.

"You're Hiei," Kurama whispered out hoarsely as he closed his eyes and tilted his head, starting to fall asleep quickly, as Genkai's healing sometimes had that effect on the kitsune.

"Yes, Kurama. I am, but, Fox, you've got to stay awake," Hiei said calmly as he shook the fox's arm. Kurama mumbled a "yes" as he forced his eyes open. "Kurama, do you know who he is?"

Hiei pointed over to Yusuke who was leaning on Koenma slightly. Kurama tilted his head back to look blearily at the raven-haired teen. He nodded his head slightly before groaning and raising his right hand to hold his temple.

"Yes…Yu…suke…Head…hurts…So much…Pain…" Kurama trailed off into an inaudible babble. He continued to move his lips as if he was still talking.

"We've got to get both of them out of here. Maybe Kurama just hit his head, he says it hurts…" Kuwabara trailed off as he looked back down at the fox, worry was spread across his features. Koenma turned to Genkai and Yukina.

"We'll meet you at the temple, Botan will take you," he said and Botan gave an affirmative nod, her oar materializing in her hand.

"Yes, we'll be ready for you," Genkai answered as she and Yukina climbed on the oar, which was soon speeding out of sight.

"Alright, I'll get Yusuke. Kuwabara, you get Kurama," Koenma ordered and both the teen and the fire demon nodded. Kuwabara walked over to Kurama as Hiei continued to talk to the fox, still holding his hand and keeping him awake.

"Hey," Yusuke said softly as Koenma wrapped an arm around the delinquent's waist, supporting him with Yusuke's arm over his shoulder. He smiled slightly and gave Yusuke a peck on the cheek, glad that his koi was fine. "I'm alright," Yusuke continued, "I think I can walk."

"No, you're still sore. Besides, this isn't so bad," Koenma answered with a light smile and Yusuke returned the gesture, giving in and leaning against the god.

"Fox, we have to move you, okay? You have to tell me if anything hurts worse," Hiei said as he helped Kuwabara move Kurama, and the kitsune mumbled something close to a yes. Slowly, Kuwabara reached one hand under the fox's neck and one under his knees and drew him up. He held the fox against his chest as he stood, trying to give the fox a sense of protection, of security.

"My…head hurts…pain…" Kurama continued mumbling and Hiei grimaced against the fox's obvious hurting. He jumped up into the trees, watching the three beneath him, his eyes on the fox in Kuwabara's arms. He jumped nimbly from branch to branch as he followed the two tentai and the god beneath him.

-o-o-o-

"You'll be fine, Dimwit," Genkai's spoke as she removed her hands from Yusuke's chest. "You had four crushed ribs, your organs were smashed, and you had internal bleeding, but Yukina took care of most of that. It's a miracle you stayed alive for the nine hours you were there for."

"Yeah, thanks." Yusuke sat up, the soreness almost fully gone from the healing almost a half hour ago. He was in one of the spare rooms at Genkai's temple. On the futon across the room from him lay Kurama. His breathing was shallow and had been since he fell asleep in Kuwabara's hold. The fox had beads of sweat on his forehead and thrashed occasionally, as if in a bad dream.

Yukina was above the fox, double-checking for any injuries. His internal injuries had not been so bad, except for the broken ribs and stab wound, but there was something about Kurama that Yukina could neither place nor try to fix. Hiei was standing at the head of the futon, helping Yukina when she needed it and gently brushing Kurama's bangs to the side in an attempt to sooth the fox.

After Yusuke was up and moving, so to speak, Genkai came over to the fox and Yukina tried to explain what she felt.

"I don't know what's wrong with him. I've healed all his outward injuries as best as possible, yet he does not calm and we can't wake him up," Yukina reported, her sweet voice worried.

"His mind has been tampered with."

Everyone turned to stare at Hiei, who brushed Kurama's bangs out of the way as he wiped Kurama's forehead.

"What do you mean?" Koenma asked, eyes narrowed.

"Syunsuke took something. Took something from Kurama. I don't know what," Hiei added as Kuwabara opened his mouth to ask. "All I know is that he took something. And from the lack of memory of Kuwabara, I suppose that would be what it was."

"Can...can you look again, and double check now that he's unconscious?" Yusuke asked and Hiei looked down at the fox.

"I can, but his barriers will still be up, sleeping doesn't change that."

"Try," Koenma ordered softly and Hiei hesitantly nodded.

"I'm warning you now," Hiei spoke, peeling off the ward off of his jagan. "Kurama will take this as an utmost invasion of his privacy."

Koenma nodded, himself and the others prepared to face the kitsune's wrath (Which always appeared to be close to non-existent.) As it opened, the eerie light flowing over Kurama, the fox stilled, his jolts of movement stopping.

However, only moments later, the fox began to thrash again, fighting against an invisible barrier. Hiei's brow furled as sweat trickled down his forehead. Kurama bucked as he gasped, emerald eyes opening wide.

Hiei cursed and quickly covered his jagan as Kurama began thrashing, soft but scared whimpers escaping him, as he tangled himself within the sheets he was under.

"Calm down, Kurama, calm down," Genkai soothed the panicking fox, who finally stilled. He allowed the old woman to push him back onto the futon as he closed his eyes again.

"Are you alright?" Yusuke asked as he looked over to the fox.

"I'm…a bit tired. And my head feels…weird," Kurama spoke hesitantly, looking suspiciously at Yusuke and not really knowing what was going on.

"Well, that could be because Hiei was just in-Ow!" Yusuke was cut off as Hiei slammed his elbow into the teen's ribs. "Uh…so, do you remember Kuwabara, now?"

There was a moment's silence before Kurama looked up at the hanyou. "Who?"

Yusuke sat back, heaving a sigh. The others did similar things and Kurama looked around at them. Hiei laid his hand on the fox's shoulder and Kurama looked up at him from the futon.

"Fox, can you name everyone in the room?" Hiei asked and Kurama paused, and then shook his head. "Who can you name?"

"You," Kurama mumbled and looked around, "and the tentai, he works for Rekai...along with that girl," he pointed at Botan, "who works with him...but beyond that...wait..." Kurama paused and looked up at Hiei, gesturing for him to lean in, which he did. "Hiei...that girl, she looks...she looks just like you. Is that...is that your sister you were searching for? I didn't know you found her. Congratulations."

Hiei looked at the fox in a mix of surprised horror.

"What he say?" Yusuke asked, wondering why Kurama kept giving him unsure looks.

"Fox?" Hiei asked and Kurama's green gaze focused back on him. "How old are you?"

"Hiei, I could take that offensively, you know! I already told you I don't keep track after a few hundred years," Kurama whispered, mock annoyance in his voice. Hiei was not sure whether to be worried or annoyed.

"I meant in ningen years, kitsune no baka!" he growled out, trying to maintain his calm composure.

"Oh...sixteen, why?" Kurama responded without delay and Hiei closed his eyes, the answer being the one he feared. Everyone else's eyes went wide.

"Kurama," Yusuke whispered, earning that emerald gaze, "you're nineteen."

Before the fox could retort, Hiei motioned for everyone to leave the room and he whispered to Kurama that he would be back shortly. As he walked outside the room, ushering the others further down the hall, he turned to Yusuke.

"I need to know what happened last night." Hiei sounded panicky and the detective sensed that he was truly worried. The knowledge only scared the teen

"I…I don't know what happened. I collapsed after Syusuke-"

"So it was he?"

"Yeah, and we fought. I collapsed when he knocked a tree down with my body. I was kinda out of it…I got up just in time to see Syunsuke rummaging through Kurama's clothing…the fox was screaming out…it…it was horrible...that scream...so much pain..." Yusuke shook his head to clear the memory before continuing, "I did the only thing I could think of. I shot him with the spirit gun. I couldn't really tell, but I think I only wounded him; I was short on energy, after all. When I was sure that he was gone, I collapsed. I couldn't hold out anymore…I'm sorry, Hiei."

"...It's not your fault." There had been a long pause before that sentence in which Hiei had contemplated Syunsuke's true intentions.

_'Could he want Kurama back?'_ Hiei thought sourly to himself. Kurama had been rumored to be an enticing partner, known throughout the Makai. It could be very possible that Syunsuke was using Kurama to get both his amulet and 'prize possession' back.

'_No,'_ Hiei decided, _'that is not a good solution.'_ Although it made the most since, it was unacceptable, and therefore no good.

Hiei sighed, looking up as he remembered that Yusuke was standing there, looking expectantly. Had he asked another question?

"What?" Hiei asked, trying to recover his dazed tone as he dragged his thoughts back to the present.

"I asked how it couldn't have been my fault," repeated the detective. "Hiei, I'm the one who led that mission; I'm the one who agreed to let Kurama s-seduce the guy. I'm the one who couldn't protect him. He's your best friend, aren't you going to place any blame?"

"Blame is pointless," the fire demon responded coldly. "Syunsuke was the one to screw him" (Yusuke promptly winced at this harsh wording) "and Syunsuke was the one to hurt him. Blaming you gets me nowhere and puts you in a self-pitying mood. No, I will not blame."

"Ri-right," Yusuke muttered, still relatively shocked at Hiei's crude manner. '_Kurama is his best friend, isn't he? How can he just casually say such things like that? Doesn't he care?'_

"Now, if you'll move, Detective, I promised Kurama I'd be back exactly two minutes and thirty-seven seconds ago. So if you don't mind, move."

Yusuke shook his head as he sidestepped away from the door, allowing Hiei passage. _'Or maybe he does care. He's just got his own damn way of showing it.'_

-o-o-o-

"Well, this isn't amnesia," Genkai began in a strict voice, leaving no room for interruption or argument. She turned to the large group in front of her, Kurama sitting cross-legged in the bed she stood next to. His green eyes were adjusted on the floorboards.

"The last thing the Fox remembers," she began, turning to address Hiei, "is you, Gouki, and himself standing in the woods; Yusuke Urameshi standing in front of you three, as you all argued over the Forlorn Hope."

Yusuke whistled before he quietly muttered a, "Damn," before being elbowed in the ribs by Hiei. The fire demon watched Kurama closely for any reaction but he kept his emerald eyes trained on the floorboards, an unreadable mask over his features.

"So how did this happen?" Kuwabara asked but Genkai only shook her head.

"I'm not sure."

"I am," Koenma muttered; getting several pairs of eyes trained on him, including a pair of bright green ones. "Spirit World operatives have recently discovered Syunsuke's rare power.

"He can meddle in one's mind and alter the way things are. A single touch and he can read you like an open book: your thoughts, your memories, your weaknesses, and you strengths. He knows them all, as long as he maintains contact.

"With his amulet, he grew to new heights. He could begin stealing information away. You may wake up, never knowing you had any weaknesses, or fall asleep, never to remember your own name, or what you had been thinking."

"But we stole the amulet!" Yusuke shouted out, enraged, but not at Koenma. If Syunsuke could only reach this height of power through the amulet, he shouldn't have been able to bend Kurama's memory for his own sick amusement.

"Yes, that is true. Unfortunately, though, Syunsuke has begun to bend the power of the amulet to his will, melding it with his soul. That is why you had to capture it. If he were to permanently acquire the abilities that amulet gives him, we could have a potential problem."

The brunette god could hear Yusuke's muttered words of, "You're telling me." If it weren't such a dire situation, he would have smirked.

"Alright then, Koenma." Everyone turned to see Kuwabara standing in the doorway, staring at Kurama. "How do we fix it?"

"We…well, we can't." Koenma answered. There was an angry protest from the audience (A/N: the ones in the audience, not you readers o.O) but Koenma waved it off with a raised eyebrow. Kurama and Yukina looked over to them before Koenma began again.

"We can't cure it on our own. Like Genkai said before, this isn't amnesia. His memories aren't locked up in his head, waiting to be remembered. Syunsuke has his memories, locked up in a safe location."

"And this location might be where?" Kurama's soft voice had everyone turning to him. His green eyes were locked on the floor but he lifted them gently and showed a small, forced smile. Yusuke's gaze softened.

'_He's going through Hell and he still tries to make sure we don't worry.'_ he thought gently before shaking his head as his own Koi began to answer.

"Most likely...in that amulet tucked in your sash."

There was a loud, overwhelming chorus of "What?"

"Yes..." Koenma muttered, "this is where it all gets tricky. That amulet intensifies Syunsuke's powers and abilities but also allows him to store his own energy in it. Taking in his specific Ki form, the amulet will hold memories shaped by his channeling energy. And by touching Kurama, he was in contact with the amulet, therefore able to store Kurama's memories in it."

"It's the perfect ploy," Genkai cut in. "If the amulet was to ever be taken, all he would have to do is steal a memory and we'd automatically have to return the amulet for him to return the memories."

Koenma nodded. "Exactly. Only he can release them, only he can give them back, and only if he has the amulet. I'm sorry Kurama. And Kuwabara, I'm sorry, too. But, for now at least he is not going to have any idea who you are."

"That's okay…" Kuwabara replied but Yusuke and the others could tell he wasn't too happy about it. In fact, he looked really down.

_'Well who wouldn't be?' _Yusuke thought to himself. He put on a silly smile and retorted, "Well, we'll just have to tell him about the Great Kazuma Kuwabara!"

"Yeah." Kuwabara gave a small laugh but it was empty. There was an odd silence for a few minutes before Hiei growled.

"If that's all, then will you leave already?" he asked in a gruff, annoyed voice. "Kurama's wounds are not healed and I think you should give him some time to do so in private."

In truth, Hiei could tell that Kurama was nervous around the others. It wasn't all that obvious, but the small, uncertain glances cast at the fire demon every now and then had given it away. That, and along with Kurama's small twitches, shifting his weight on the bed as if uncomfortable.

"Um...Yeah," Yusuke said, and motioned for the others to leave the room. However, Koenma caught his wrist and whispered something in his ear before leaving. The detective only nodded.

As he headed for the door, the last to leave except for Hiei, Yukina, and Genkai, he looked over at the two, each standing by Kurama.

"Hiei, there is something I wished to talk to you about. You too, Grandma." The teen tried not to make it too obvious that it was something Kurama should not hear, and also hoped that he would not figure out that the others would be told too, not just Hiei and Genkai.

But this was Youko Kurama we're talking about. He is no idiot.

"There is something else I should warn you of," Koenma began once all of them were a distance from the fox's room. Hiei had asked Yukina too stay with Kurama and try to comfort him as best she could, and he promised to explain whatever Koenma told them. "The tampering in Kurama's mind may have also affected other things."

"Such as?" Hiei asked with an impatiently. The fox's discomfort at the only person he really recognized leaving him alone when everything felt so confusing had been apparent and Hiei wanted to get back to comfort the kitsune.

_'What is it about him?'_ Hiei muttered. _'I feel so...uncomfortable leaving him alone; he's...he's...'_ the fire demon's eyes widened by a fraction, _'...he's vulnerable. That's it. I'm worried about his safety.'_

As Hiei was about to scoff at his own sentimental idiocy, Koenma began to answer his question, finally providing a straight answer. Well, mostly.

"His other memories could also be slightly distorted, his energy might be off, and his emotional and mental stability," Koenma answered bluntly. There was a long bout of dubious silence, and then...

"WHAT?" Kuwabara shouted out. "What do you mean affected mental stability?"

"Hn. Affected means influenced, or, in this case, not working properly. Mental means in your head, and-"

"I know what the words mean, shrimp!" Kuwabara shouted out, his face red and fists balled. Hiei only scoffed.

Koenma sighed as he started where he left off, "Unfortunately, in both demons and humans, and most other beings, the balance of the mind is a delicate thing. Pull a thread and you'll find it connected to the rest of the balance.

"It may be very likely that his sudden lack of memory causes other things. He may not remember everything he should, or see things that others can't. He may feel what he doesn't understand, or act unlike himself.

"It is a common occurrence when dealing with mind manipulation," Koenma concluded to an uncomfortable silence. Yusuke was staring hard at the ground and Kuwabara was scrutinizing the nearby wall.

"Well then, I guess this little meeting is over." It was Genkai, this time, who ended the idle silence. She turned, "I have a fox to heal and you all have work to do. I suggest you find out as much as you can about this Syunsuke."

With that she vanished out of the room and down one of the many halls of the temple. Hiei looked around once and then, with a customary "hn" left as well, following the old master.

Koenma seemed slightly flustered, then turned and started towards the door. Yusuke was the one to grab his wrist this time and he turned only to have a kiss planted on his lips.

But before he could deepen it, Yusuke pulled away with a smirk. "Now get out of here. And don't come back without information!"

Koenma could only smirk as he walked off the temple grounds and to the nearest portal, Botan at his heals. Yusuke shook his head and turned around. He noticed a lone, tall figure dawdle over to the rock garden and he walked over to Kuwabara, who was staring meaningfully at the raked gravel.

"Hey, you okay?" Yusuke asked as he smacked Kuwabara on the back. The orange haired teen just nodded.

"Yeah, I'm alright."

"Sorry, man," Yusuke tried to comfort his best friend.

"Don't worry 'bout it…It…it just…well, it kinda hurts to think that one of my best friends doesn't remember me…" Kuwabara's tone trailed off and Yusuke patted his shoulder.

"We'll find Syunsuke, and when we do, we'll kick his ass for what he did and make him give Kurama back his memory." Yusuke smiled at Kuwabara again and walked out of the room. The orange haired teen soon followed, walking out of the temple and onto the snow-covered grounds.

-o-o-o-

Hiei quietly slid open the door to find Yukina talking gently to Kurama. She was seated on the edge of his bed and he had moved back to sit cross-legged with his back against the wall.

He looked completely calm, almost comfortable and Hiei couldn't help smiling to himself. At least Yukina has seemed to gain the fox's trust. The fire demon swiftly crossed the room, following Genkai's footsteps as she walked up to Kurama.

"Alright, Fox, I just need to recheck your wounds and make sure they healed correctly," she said and started forward. Kurama's calm eyes did not flinch but Hiei could see that he did not trust Genkai.

How could he? Common sense would scream at him not to trust anyone he didn't know. Especially not to allow her to touch him.

_'But then again,' _Hiei mused, _'he didn't exactly listen to that instinct when he was with Syunsuke.'_

Another pang of unidentifiable emotion swept through him, gone as soon as it had come. His brow furled as his thoughts lingered over it. He was feeling uncertain every time he left the fox, but that was because he was vulnerable.

And now he was feeling something else every time he thought about how Kurama had to sedu-

Another sweep of that feeling cut his thoughts short and he shook his head.

_'Shit,'_ he growled out, annoyed, again, at his sentimental idiocy. _'Get a grip, bastard. You're a demon, don't fall for that sentimental human crap.'_

With a newly refreshed determination not to submit to the strange and uncalled for emotions, he looked down at the fox. Genkai had unwrapped a white bandage around Kurama's stomach.

Not a scratch remained. She only nodded and finished unwrapping the rest of the bandages. Kurama still had slightly discolored skin from some bruises, but nothing he wouldn't live through.

So, as Genkai declared him fine, and Yukina left saying something about making Kurama some tea, Hiei was left alone with the fox. Kurama looked up at him, piercing green eyes searching through him.

The fire demon suddenly felt naked, open in front of that deep, endless gaze. He coughed slightly, coming out more as his customary "hn." Kurama smiled at this.

"How do you feel?" Hiei asked, tearing his eyes away from that emerald stare. Kurama tilted his slightly in a quizzical manner.

"I...feel fine. But in terms of what's going on..." Kurama looked away, staring out the window of the healing room, into the dark forest that surrounded Genkai's temple. "...I have absolutely no clue. And it makes me feel like shit."

Hiei smirked. This definitely wasn't the nineteen year old fox he knew. Kurama rarely swear in front of others, being most lenient probably around Hiei. That fact that he was cursing so early almost made the fire demon chuckle.

"Don't worry, I'll fill you in."

"Hiei," Kurama suddenly said and looked over at him. The fire demon almost took a step back at the uncertain trust lingering in the green eyes. "I don't know anyone here. I feel like...like someone turned the lights out in an unfamiliar room. And...and the only thing I have to guide me is a single flame...the only thing I have is you."

Hiei, who was none-to-surprisingly shocked at this revelation, took a moment to simply stare at the kitsune before he have his customary "hn" and allowed his shoulders to slouch slightly, relaxing his frame.

"I get it, you're a single soldier in enemy territory." The fox nodded his head, although, in his head, liking his explanation much more. Hiei's metaphor made him feel as if all those people around him had been enemies. At least with his dark room analogy nothing was actually certain to be evil or good.

"Yeah, that's close enough," Kurama finally answered. Hiei snorted yet again.

"Calm down," he said tauntingly, now reminding Kurama much more of the cold-hearted fire demon who had asked him to help steal the treasures, not the kinder side of him that he had seen when he was still in elementary school, back when he had helped Hiei defeat that demon.

"You're far from being alone in the dark," Hiei said as he leaned against the wall next to the window. "Unfortunately, you're not far from enemy territory."

Kurama's head snapped back to focus on Hiei. "What do you mean?"

Hiei sighed slightly. "That guy that the others were talking about, that Syunsuke...you took something from him."

"You mean...Stole?" Kurama asked, sure of nothing anymore. Hiei nodded and he looked down. "I don't remember stealing anything from anyone...unless...while I was Youko?"

Hiei shook his head. "No. Listen to me carefully, Kurama. You are no longer sixteen. You're nineteen years old."

Kurama's eyebrow rose but he remained silent, so Hiei continued. "You and I, we were caught by Yusuke Urameshi, the Rekai Tentai."

"And...my mother?" Kurama asked almost fearfully. It was true, when they had originally stolen the objects, Hiei knew nothing of Kurama's plight to save his mother. But if what Hiei said was true, and this had all already passed, Kurama was pretty sure that he would have gone through with his plan to save his mother. The only question left was, if his plan had been taken out, why was he still alive?

"Saved," Hiei said in a voice none to soft. Kurama didn't care about the harshness. He sighed gently in relief but looked back up to Hiei, silently asking hima single question. The fire demon looked disdainfully down at the fox but answered anyways.

"Yusuke saved you." When it was apparent that he was not going to hand over anymore information on the subject, Kurama sighed but returned to his quiet listening and Hiei continued his story.

"You...arranged an agreement with Lord Enma," Hiei said, disgust that had faded over the four years of working for the Rekaishowing faintlyin his voice. "Not a month after our arrest, we joined the Rekai Tentai, as payment for our crimes."

At this, Kurama looked most surprised. His wide eyes regarded Hiei dubiously. "And," he started slowly, "you went along with this...plan of mine?"

Hiei snorted and looked away. "The options were not to my liking. That was the best there was to make of a situationthat was horrid through and through.

"It's been four years since then. I've had time to make my options better. Besides, I grew stronger...as did you," Hiei finished before almost smacking himself. The tone he had just taken up sounded almost...soft. Resisting the urge to punch the sentiment out of him, he redoubled his effort to remain cold.

Whatever weird emotions plagued him at the moment, it would pass if he ignored it. Just like they always did.

"Oh," Kurama said, watching Hiei have an inner battle with himself. Indeed, the lack of coldness in the fire demon's last words had caught him off guard, but, then again, Hiei seemed to be jumping from borderline calm to borderline harsh.

It was extremely awkward.

Hiei finally looked back at Kurama, only to notice the slightly confused look he was getting. He shoved aside a growl and continued with the story to get his mind off of the emotional thoughts. Of course, this part of the story did not help asit wassupposed to.

"On a recent mission, we had to take an amulet from Syunsuke, a mind demon," Hiei started up again, his stomach knotting slightly at the thought of their enemy. The thought of their enemy with Kurama.He growled and shoved it off. "You...We got the amulet, but weren't allowed to kill the demon. Thinking he was weak without the amulet, we never expected him to attack you."

"So...It's asLord Koenma said, I've lost my memory?"

"Just parts of it," Hiei said as he looked back out the window. "Syunsuke only took the last four years worth of information."

_'But why just the lastfour years?'_ Hiei thought suddenly to himself. Although the question had bugged him earlier, he had had more urgent things to think off and pushed the thoughts to the back of his head. Now they came up full force. _'Why not take all of the kitsune's memory? Is he taunting us? Why not just finish the Fox and the Detective off?'_

Hiei shook his head. As glad as he was (not that he would ever say so) that both hanyouand fox were still among the living, it gave him nothing to work with. Syunsuke's only motive was the amulet.

Wasn't it?

'_Unless..._' Hiei's eyes darkened._"Unless he really did come back for Kurama, too?'_ Hiei looked down at the fox, who had turned his confused, troubled gaze out the window, where Hiei had been looking not long before.

Kurama was beautiful; quiet a prize for any demon to land. But could Syunsuke really plan on reclaiming Kurama, especially after hurting the fox and removing his memo-

Hiei froze. _'That's it! Of course, he stole Kurama's memory! The fox will have no recollection of him, no idea it's him until it's too late!_'

The fire demon looked over to Kurama. "Fox?" The youko looked over to him. "I have to go for a few minutes, but I want you to stay here. Don't leave this room."

"But...why, Hiei?" Kurama asked, genuinely confused, which was starting to make the youko annoyed, and angry. Hiei only shook his head.

"Because Syunsuke is going to come after you again."

-o-o-o-

_Chapter 2_

End

-o-o-o-

That chapter just didn't want to end. Yuck.

Anyways, hope you all enjoyed it. Oh, and thank you so much for all my reviews. You all rock!

**Author's Notes:**

... _had been since he fell asleep in Kuwabara's hold_ : I couldn't say in Kuwabara's arms...cuz that just put the wrong picture in my mind. You know, if it had been Hiei's arms it would have been cute, but not Kuwabara.

..._There_ _was a loud, overwhelming chorus of "What?"_: this would exclude Kurama, as seeing that he as no idea of whom Syunsuke is and less of the amulet that is, yes, still tucked in his sash. I suppose I should have them take that out soon...Hmmmm...Oh well, writer's blooper!

((My muses arenow arguing that it's not a blooper if I catch it and do nothing abut it...O.o))

..._so it was he? _: I hate saying that...It sounds so incorrect, but all my dumb English classes have taught me not to trust my ears. Dang, English has so many stupid exceptions and rules!

... a_s you all argued over the forlorn hope_ : Yes, I know it is more formally called the Mirror of Utter Darkness, but, I mean, come on! Forlorn hope is such an awesome name! Think about it; it literally means the Hopeless Hope. That is so much better than the Mirror of Utter Darkness!

_...orange haired teen just nodded _: Face it people, in the anime, he does have **orange **hair. He's not a redhead, as much as you all want him to be! Characters in anime have **strange **hair colors. Get over it!

**End Author Notes**

Please review!


	3. Memories Lost pt II

**Disclaimer**: Nope, still only own Syunsuke and thirteen cents. Look, a Penny! Fourteen cents!

**Notes**: Again, I would like to thank all the wonderful reviewers!

-o-o-o-

_**Memories of the Lost**_

_Chapter 3_

Memories Lost (pt II)

-o-o-o-

Hiei stared balefully out into the white world that was Genkai's temple grounds. His stony red eyes were focused on nothing, staring into the snow-covered forest as his mind settled over his more troubling thoughts.

If Kurama was Syunsuke's main target, or ulterior motive, granted the amulet, then he would not give up until the fox was back in his possession.

This was purely unacceptable.

After having heard rumors of Youko's more...extravagant love life back when he was only kitsune, Hiei was not surprised that Syunsuke would want Kurama back. However, he had no idea how much the mind manipulator would go through to do so.

Perhaps he was approaching this wrong.

How desirable could someone be that a demon would go through all that trouble to get him back? Hiei dwelt on this thought for several, brief seconds. That is, until an image of long, flowing black hair and masochistic violet eyes flashed before his memory.

Right. Scrap that question.

Hiei scoffed the idea. Karasu was a psychotic demon that lusted after Kurama. Karasu had never even had the fox before, so he was a poor basis of judgment.

The fire demon's thoughts turned to those of revenge.

Syunsuke may not want Kurama back for sex, at all. He may just want him back for the purely satisfying feeling of having the blood of a betrayer slip through your fingers.

Like silk on skin.

Hiei shook his head. That thought had certainly come from the part of him that was still a cold-hearted murderer. The fire demon quickly drew away from those thoughts and weighed the possibilities.

Of course, there was always the option that he was reading Syunsuke's movements completely wrong and that the mind demon only wanted his amulet. Perhaps the demon had not had time to kill off Yusuke, and was planning to do so after killing the fox and retrieving his amulet. Only, Yusuke had had more strength than he had reasoned.

But then why bother taking Kurama's memory? Perhaps it had been painful on the fox, but he had lived through it. Obviously, that had not been a move to kill Kurama.

Hiei growled. The options only circled around back to the problems, helping him with nothing more than the development of a headache.

_'Damn it,'_ Hiei cursed to himself. _'Kurama's the strategist, not me!' _

Sighing, the demon weighed the possibilities in his mind. The likely hood of Syunsuke taking Kurama's memory when only wanting his death looked highly improbable.

Scrap option one.

The chance of having Syunsuke simply wanting Kurama for revenge seemed much more likely. Revenge had always been a strong basis of killing throughout all three worlds. It made up over half of the foundation for murder in the Makai alone.

Hiei nodded, finding the probabilities of the second option to his liking. Until he thought more in dept about the means of revenge.

Syunsuke would want revenge on Kurama for betraying him. Kurama betrayed Syunsuke by stealing his amulet. Kurama stole his amulet by seducing him...

That meant that the most striking, painful means of revenge would be rape. Which led to option number three; that Syunsuke wanted Kurama back for sex.

Scrap option two.

Option three...Damn it all, was unacceptable!

Hiei cursed vividly to himself, drawing his gaze back inside the small room he sat in. Or, to be precise, he sat halfway in the room, halfway out, as the window was quiet comfortable and his leg was hanging on the outside of the temple.

"You sure are making some funny sound combinations over there."

Hiei turned to see Kurama's head sticking out of a doorframe about ten feet from him. The fire demon raised an eyebrow.

"You done yet?"

"No," Kurama replied and, with a shrug, ducked his head back inside the adjoining room. The fire demon shook his head and turned his attention back to the outside room.

"Hey, Hiei?" Kurama's voice echoed out from the room, followed by the sounds of sloshing water as Kurama sank into the bath. The wooden slats on the ground creaked as the fire beneath the tub warmed them, drying any moisture that they held. Flames crackled beneath the fire as Kurama sighed, leaning his head back against the side.

"What, Fox?"

"What am I like? The nineteen year old me, that is." Hiei turned to look at the bathing room. His ruby red eyes observed it with an unidentifiable mix of emotions.

"You are...different," he answered, saying nothing. Kurama rolled his eyes and pulled himself up into a sitting position, exposing his bare chest to the humid but still-chilly air.

"You know, that never would have occurred to me at all, Hiei. Thank you. I feel...fully satisfied that I've learned everything I could ever need to from this conversation."

"Hn." Hiei resisted the urge to shake his head but he could not hold back a smirk. If someone had been in the room, he might have. His smirk turned, though, as his thoughts focused on the Kurama he had grown to consider a best friend. It took on a much sadder tint.

"You don't...do that a lot, anymore."

Kurama frowned in the tub. "Do what?"

"Joke," Hiei answered as he looked down at the wooden ground of the temple room. Inside the tub, Kurama sunk his head down to his mouth, soaking in the warmth of the water. Something about the way Hiei had said that had suddenly brought a feeling of insecurity, of depression.

"You're polite to everyone, but you're not like you were. It's forced. You don't really smile much...not a real smile, anyways." Kurama felt like sinking lower as what started as a small feeling in the pit of his stomach grew to spread through his body. "It's a lot harder to figure out what you're thinking; how you really feel. You wrap yourself in a mask that's impossible to penetrate."

"I...I'm not sure I like the new me," Kurama whispered just loud enough for Hiei to hear. The fire demon's eyes wavered slightly. One would, if there was one to see him, certainly confide in another that the fire demon looked downright sad.

"But you care about everyone deeply. You hide your own pain, always putting yourself second to everyone else's needs. It's...not a bad quality, but you never think about yourself anymore," Hiei continued. Something painful was ripping him apart. His mind was practically screaming at him, questioning why he was delving into this conversation, why he wouldn't stop.

But he couldn't. He kept talking as those annoying pings of strange emotions returned to stab him when he least expected it.

"I think that you aren't truly happy, that you're hiding something, some pain that you're not willing to show," Hiei continued, his voice dropping to a quieter level. Kurama was now so low in the water that he was threateningly close to not being able to hear the fire demon through the water covering half of his ears.

"It's not like you were when you were sixteen; how you are now, Kurama. You, the sixteen-year-old you, joke at me, laugh and smile...smile for real, instead of hide something away from me."

"Why would I ever hide something from you?" the fox finally replied after a brief silence. The fire demon kicked himself for talking so much, but Kurama didn't hear.

"I don't know why, Fox. But you hide it from everyone."

Kurama suddenly laughed, the feeling of depression driving him to do something about it. Hiei's head shot up as laughter echoed from the bathing room.

"What is so funny?" he growled out, appearing, quite suddenly, at the doorframe.

Kurama shook his head; small fits of laughter ripped through his sides. He managed, however, to get a sentence out in between, "You are! ...I've never heard you..." another fit of laughter "...being so philosophical!"

The fox finally got his laughter under control, grabbing his side lightly, merry green eyes smiling in there own at Hiei. "You've changed, too, Hiei. You're not as cold as you used to be."

Hiei looked surprised for a minute before he schooled his face and turned to the side, staring at the wall of the bathing room. "Hn."

Kurama smiled, a small giggle escaping him. "I like you like this."

The fire demon glanced at the fox, who had, by then, ducked his head under the water, scrubbing at his hair. With his eyes shut under the murky water, he never did see Hiei with that small smile gracing his childish face.

-o-o-o-

"So...let me get this straight," Kurama began, brushing his hair behind him. He pointed at himself. "I work for the Reikai now...and you," he looked at Kuwabara and Hiei, "work with me as a team... and you," he pointed at Yusuke, who walked beside him, "are our leader?

"Yeah, that about sums it up!" Yusuke replied enthusiastically, his arms locked behind his head as they walked down the streets of the city. Kurama shook his head.

"Wow, I never would have imagined..." he gave a small paused before continuing, "that I could ever convince Hiei into joining a team of ningens..."

Yusuke frowned suddenly, as did Hiei and Kuwabara looked to the side. Kurama did not miss this and stopped walking. "What?"

"You..." Yusuke didn't finish his sentence, but just shook his head, waving it off. Hiei looked up at the detective as Kurama shrugged and continued walking, Kuwabara engaging him in another conversation.

"He's different," Yusuke finally said and Hiei snorted.

"This is how he was before he met you, Detective," Hiei answered and Yusuke looked down at him, surprise written across his face.

"In front of humans, he acted like a human, and, leading up to when he met you, he was more kind, but he still let his youko traits show through his opinions. He had only begun to understand what feeling loved meant."

"What..." Yusuke couldn't quite figure out what he wanted to say. How could Kurama have been so different before he met Yusuke?

But he was definitely different.

"Kurama is more cold-hearted than you could ever imagine, Yusuke. Deep down, he is still Youko Kurama, the ruthless thief of Makai. Until he met you, he still held himself mostly superior to most humans."

"He isn't like the Kurama I met at the hospital, Hiei...he's different," Yusuke reasoned and the fire demon only shrugged as the two started walking again.

"When you met us that day, Kurama was beginning to realize the seriousness of the changes going through him," Hiei continued, eyes focused on the redhead several feet ahead of them, who was nodding at Kuwabara. "It hit home that he was about to give up his life because he finally understood that he was **not** superior to his mother, or to other humans.

"The Kurama you see now has not fully undergone that change, and may not unless he goes through a similar shock of feeling loved." Hiei glanced at Yusuke. "Starting to miss the old Kurama, Detective?"

The hanyou looked down at him. His deep brown eyes were filled with a confusion that bordered on anger at the fire demon's nonchalant question. "Yes. I miss the Kurama that cares for his friends."

The fire demon watched Yusuke as his voice grew dangerously low, close to anger. Hiei smirked, which caught the detective slightly off guard.

"Good, because so do I."

-o-o-o-

_Chapter 3_

End

-o-o-o-

-sigh- I know, the chapter was short and all talk. I apologize.

I also apologize if the gang began to seem slightly out of character. I have an excuse for Kurama, but a weak one for Hiei. Kurama's is explained below...and Hiei is just because he misses Kurama and is beginning starting to develop but not realize his feelings.

Heheh, want to know something funny? This mostly applies to **Agent Dark Moose**...I said before that I had this entire story planned out? Yeah...well this chapter was NO WHERE in those plans...I don't even know where it came from! I just started typing...I knew this was going to happen...Damn blueprints... .

My whole thought on this chapter is still iffy, though, but it was based around the fact that at the time when Kurama was sixteen, a major turning point began for the fox.

He went from thinking he was superior, to realizing that he wasn't. Without going through that, he still thinks that he's mostly superior. –shrug- that was all that was meant by it.

More is explained in the author notes.

**Author notes:** (that was slightly redundant)

_...Karasu had never even had the fox before... _Ah, yes. This is referring to the fact that I think Karasu (and it is basically said in the anime) lusted after Kurama.

Hiei was wondering who the hell would really go to all the trouble just for lust. He then remembered Karasu and decided that that question need not be answered.

Secondly, the actual line above is referring to the fact that Hiei then mocked his own logic as Karasu, unlike Syunsuke, had never slept with Kurama, and therefore was a poor judge of what someone would go through to get Kurama back.

In a round about way of avoiding mentioning it, Hiei is basically thinking: I have never slept with Kurama so I have no clue if he is good enough to do anything to claim him back again.

In a round about way... .

_...as the fire beneath the tub..._ Please remember: they are in a temple. The baths would be old style baths where a fire warms the water from below and the tub is not ceramic with running water.

_...the way Hiei had sait that...brought a feeling of insecurity... _This was concerning what Koenma warned the others of: Kurama will remember things he shouldn't or vice versa along with see and know things he doesn't understand. It will make sense later on, but Kurama is beginning to feel things that he would have felt were the real Kurama (fully memoried (not a real word) and everything) were hearing Hiei say this to him.

_...I think that you aren't truly happy..._ About this: Hiei is, of course, referring to what many-a-fan girl write about: Kurama hiding behind a mask as thick as Hiei's.

This is a theme that I enjoy writing and, in this story, Hiei is inadvertently talking about Kurama hiding his feelings. Hiei just doesn't realize that he's hit home and is actually referring to Kurama hiding the love he feels for the fire demon. See! The paring is coming! ...Eventually!

_...This is how he was before..._ Again, to describe this as best as possible: I see the story going that Kurama was cold and heartless to his mother and everyone else, but slowly warmed up as time went on.

At 16, I believe he was still thought himself superior to humans, but not in public. He acted sincere and yada, yada, around others but, when he was around Hiei and what not, he was much more like his Youko self.

Now, I know this can be dis-proven (not a real word -.-) with a secret chapter of how Hiei and Kurama met in the manga, which you can see in the Shoujo JUMP magazines, but anyways! Doesn't matter, I like my version more, MY STORY! --' (heheh)

So, at the point where he realized he was going to loose his mother, he grew almost depressed and finally realized why he was depressed, and how much he was wrong about being cruel. Now, granted, he probably figured this out slightly before he met Yusuke, but it couldn't have been more than a week before. Assuming this (which most likely is all wrong), Kurama without his memory would most likely not remembered having fully gone through that change and is mostly denying it.

But don't worry, he will go through the change as he slowly begins to realize things...And I'll try to describe it better in the next chapter...T.T

_...Good, because so do I..._ This quote is very OOC for Hiei, but I figured that it fit and I really like it at the end of the chapter. All though I feel that it fits with how he really feels, I know he would most likely never tell this to Yusuke. But it really did fit as a good ending so leave me alone! O.O

**End Author's Notes**

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Sorry that it was mostly talk and nothing more, but the next chapter will be coming out pretty soon. There will, inevitably, be more talking, but I will be sure to include some action as not to bore you all!

Please review, if you'd be so kind!


	4. Memories Uncertain

**Disclaimer**: Fourteen cents! Fourteen cents! Woohooo!

**Review Responses**: First, thank you all for not only reading this story but also for reviewing it. I truly enjoy writing it and so I hope that you all enjoy reading it. I'm not going to include the responses any longer (they've been deleted after over a year, so I'm sure those that reviewed have now read their appropriate response.)

But thank you all that read and leave me feedback!

-o-o-o-

**_Memories of the Lost_**

_Chapter 4_

Memories Uncertain

-o-o-o-

Tokyo's suburban streets were beginning to thin of their earlier crowds as four inconspicuous boys made their way down the street.

Leading in front, a tall and lanky man was boasting loudly, long but muscular arms moving in over exaggerated motions. He was merrily retelling some tale that was highly dubbed with self-importance. His only audience, but for the odd looks he often received from passing pedestrians, was the beautiful redhead walking beside him.

Long red hair cascaded down to waist-length. Like a shimmering waterfall, it shone in the sun's bright rays. Piercing green eyes, sharp and alert, were laughing in their own at the companion's tale. A lithe, feminine form curved in just the right places, swung with just the right step, to catch everyone's attention.

One would, if one did not look close, presume this beautiful person to be female.

Lagging a few feet behind the two lighter-haired boys walked two raven-haired persons. The first, hands clasped behind his head, strode with an air of strength and confidence. Dark brown eyes, much the shade of chocolate, stared defiantly ahead, eyes locked on the redhead.

A flicker of concern was washing back and forth in those eyes.

Unruly, rebellious hair spiked around the crown of his head, defying the gel he had undoubtedly applied by the gallons. He glanced down at his companion, whose short stature seemed even shorter with his white-bandaged hands shoved in his cloak.

This last companion was dressed head to toe in black, contrasting like a dark stone among a white riverbed. His dark, piercing eyes stared ahead, ruby red orbs locked on ruby red hair.

"Hiei," the taller of the two boys hanging back spoke. Ruby eyes looked up in response. "Is it really a good idea to bring him to see his mother?"

The fire demon stared into those brown eyes before looking back to Kurama. "Would it be wise not to? Shiori expected Kurama to be back yesterday. Was it not only last night, before we split up, that he was worried about his mother panicking and calling the police?"

Yusuke's eyebrow rose. "You think she did?"

"Hn."

"Ahh! You do! You think she really called the cops! Why the hell are we going over there?" Yusuke shouted, pointing wildly at Hiei. "I don't exactly have the best reputation with them, you know! They're gonna think we kidnapped Kurama, or something!"

"Will you shut up?" Hiei hissed, eyes venomous. He glanced back at the two walking farther ahead before continuing, "What do you want us to do? Worry her more? Kurama may be different for the time being, but he would certainly not appreciate learning that we worried his mother.

"_If_ she called the cops, which we still don't know if she did, we will simply tell them the truth-" Yusuke opened his mouth to retort in astonishment, but Hiei cut him off, "We will twist is around, of course, Detective. Kura-no… _Shuichi_ injured himself playing some stupid ningen game, suffered a concussion, but is all right. We went to see a doctor and would have called her but Shuichi was not conscious to give us the number."

Hiei shrugged. "It's as simple as that."

Yusuke frowned, thinking it over. It mostly made sense…mostly. But if any more questions arose, Hiei could handle them and Kurama or Yusuke could always back him up.

"But…what about the memory problem?" Yusuke asked, still unsure about the idea. You know, most amnesia patients don't end up remembering everything but four years of their life!"

Hiei only shrugged, answering, ""Kurama can be a good actor if he has to be."

The fire demon said nothing more, so Yusuke did not argue. Their walk slowed as they approached the fox's house. Kurama, who had tuned out Kuwabara quite suddenly, was frowning in the direction of the pristine house.

The white paint was clean, and the trim well kept. The front yard was covered in willowing trees and swaying flowers. A small walkway led from the sidewalk to the front door.

"Kurama?" Yusuke asked as he and Hiei caught up to the two stopped boys.

"There's someone else in there," Kurama growled out, half his voice angry, the other half confused and worried.

Kuwabara blinked. "But…that's just your step-dad."

Kurama's head whipped around to stare somewhat fiercely at the orange-haired teen. Kuwabara shied away but Yusuke, with a grin, put his hand on Kurama's shoulder.

"Hey man, sorry. It totally slipped my mind," Yusuke began, undaunted by Kurama's strange behavior. "But don't worry, you approved of the guy. You made sure he was good enough for Shiori."

Kurama seemed to calm slightly at this. And even though he was still rather bothered by the sudden news, he couldn't help but smile at the raven-haired teen before him.

"You know…I think I realize why I teamed up with you." With that, and no further explanation, he turned and started across the street. Yusuke gave Kuwabara a brief glance before turning and following the fox.

The last tentai followed, Hiei flitting off to appear beside Kurama as the kitsune's hand landed on the handle of the door. The fox cast Hiei a questioning glance as the fire demon's hand landed on his outstretched forearm, pausing him from opening the door.

"Fox, you're memory," Hiei whispered. There was a moment of silence, in which Yusuke and Kuwabara stopped behind the two. Then, rather suddenly, a wide smile spread over the fox.

"Yeah, I know. But don't worry, Hiei, you told me how the new me acts. I think I can get it down." Kurama gave one more reassuring smile, which really didn't seem all that reassuring, and walked into the house.

Hiei did not move forward, following the fox, but rather glanced behind at Yusuke. "I definitely miss him, Detective."

Kuwabara sent Yusuke a questioning glance, which he waved off before following the two demons into the house. The orange-haired teen left behind gave a loud sigh before he followed.

"Mother?" Kurama called out as he walked into the foyer of the front hall. There was the sound of glass crashing and rushed footsteps before Shiori appeared, practically slamming into the hall wall as she rushed out of the kitchen.

"Shuichi?" she asked in shock before a smile spread from ear to ear and she rushed forward. Kurama wrapped his arms around her as she rushed to hug him.

"Where have you been?" she almost sobbed out. Kurama pulled away from the hug with a small smile.

Hiei was almost shocked. That smile was no real smile. It was small and fake, holding in all the joy, pain, and fear that wanted to be expressed but didn't know how.

It was the exact smile that Kurama had been giving everyone for the last four years.

"Sorry, Kaasan," he began, "but there was an accident last night, while we were playing soccer."

"An accident? What kind of accident?" Shiori asked panicky but Kurama gave her another smile, a softer smile for reassurance.

"Nothing, Kaasan, I tripped going for a shot to the goal. I just had the unfortunate luck to hit the only rock on the entire field," Kurama lied perfectly and Shiori's eyes widened.

"Are you all right? Where did you get hurt? Is everything okay? Did you see a doctor? Why didn't you call?" The questions just kept coming and Kurama finally silenced her with a small laugh.

"Please, Mother, allow me to answer, first!" he laughed out and Shiori gave a weak smile, nodding. "Well then. Yes, I am all right. I just got hit on the back of my head; it's nothing too bad. Yes, we saw an old friend of Yusuke's well taught in the ways of medicine. And forgive me for not letting you know, but I was unconscious and no one else knew the number."

"Well…alright, Shuichi, as long as you're okay now," Shiori answered, seemingly buying the lie. Kurama smiled and nodded at his friends, who followed the two into the living room of the house.

There, sitting with a young boy around the age of thirteen or so, was an older man, who's face was kind and gentle, but portrayed worry. As Shiori and Kurama entered the room, he stood up hurriedly.

"Are you all right, Shuichi?" the man asked in a rushed, worried voice. Kurama, after a brief pause of uncertainty that worried the three tentai behind him, smiled softly and nodded at his stepfather.

"Yes, thank you, Gifu," Kurama replied as he sat down on the couch as his mother did. The young boy beside Hatanaka was immediately asking questions similar to what his stepmother had asked.

Kurama replied to each an every one with a fake smile or small laugh and much in a similar manner to which he had replied to his mother. "Yes, otouto, I am all right now. Thank you for your concern."

Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei who were offered seats in the living room, watched in less than mild surprise as Kurama acted exactly as he had for the last four years, every little thing he said and did being almost perfect.

"So, tell me of this dramatic fall!" the younger Shuichi began happily and Kurama laughed, starting to spin yet another lie.

-o-o-o-

Three hours later, several hundred questions, and about ten rounds of tea, the tentai and Kurama finally left, convincing Shiori and the others that he was indeed fine, but intended to return to Kuwabara's house where he had left some of his clothes.

Eventually Shiori let him leave and they began the long walk back to the temple with Kurama and Hiei in front conversing lightly and Kuwabara and Yusuke watching them from behind.

"So watcha think?" Kuwabara asked as they walked, his small, black eyes on Kurama and Hiei. Beside him, walking with his hands tucked behind his head, Yusuke shrugged.

"Pretty nice performance, if you ask me," he answered almost nonchalantly. Then his face grew stern and serious, and his eyes darkened. "I'm worried about him, though."

"You mean Kurama?" Kuwabara asked, but the answer to that was obvious. "I am too."

"I was thinking over what Koenma told us," Yusuke began and continued after Kuwabara looked at him questioningly. "You know, about how he might feel things and remember things that he shouldn't?

"Well, he just…seemed to know exactly what to do in front of his mother…Nobody is that good of an actor," Yusuke continued. "And…I worry about him spending so much time with Hiei."

Kuwabara frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Look," Yusuke began hesitantly. He stopped walking, grabbing Kuwabara's arm to stop him, also. "I'm going to tell you something, Kuwabara, that I promised Kurama I'd keep to myself."

The orange-haired teen frowned. "What? What is it?"

Yusuke took a deep breath. "Look, you're probably not going to like this, Kuwabara, but I'm worried about Kurama. The fox…the fox told me once about someone…someone that he really likes…someone that he loves, Kuwabara. And against what I told him…he decided to keep it a secret, even from the one he loves."

"Uh…" Kuwabara clearly did not see where his friend was going with this.

"Kuwabara, listen to me. Koenma told us that Kurama might remember things he shouldn't. If he remembers this and doesn't remember why he kept it so far buried in his mind…he may do something he'll regret."

"Urameshi…man, you're not making any sense!" Kuwabara growled. "Start from the beginning and tell it straight! Who the hell is this girl that Kurama loves so much? And what does that have to do with hanging around Hiei too much?"

Yusuke closed his eyes. When he opened them, they were fierce, serious, and left nothing to chance. "Kurama…doesn't love a girl, Kuwabara…the Fox…the Fox loves Hiei."

There was a long silence that followed up after that sentence. And several seconds later Kuwabara shrieked. Yusuke jumped forward and clamped a hand over his mouth.

Hiei and Kurama spun at the lanky teen's scream. Hiei snorted when he saw Yusuke holding Kuwabara in a headlock, shaking his head back and forth like a rag doll. The raven-haired Detective gave his two demon friends a silly smile, even as he hissed at Kuwabara.

"Man, will you shut up!" Yusuke growled, but Kuwabara was only answering him in strange wheezing noises.

"How can- No way- I mean…How can Kurama love Hiei?" The last bit had faded into a harsh whisper. Yusuke shrugged.

"I don't know, he just does! Just watch the two of them some time, and you might see it too," the detective answered. "But the problem is, the fox's memory was wiped, but Koenma told me specifically that it was only his memory."

"What'd he mean by that?"

"Kuwabara, love isn't formed through memories. It's like- like you and Yukina. You claim you're soul-bonded, meant for each othe_-_"

"We ar-" Yusuke clamped his hand back over Kuwabara's mouth before the teen could continue ranting.

"I know, but Koenma told me personally that Kurama and Hiei _are_ soul mates. They were meant to be together in this life, have been together in their last life, and will be together in the next one. It's something that has to happen."

"So…what you're saying is…"

"Not only is Syunsuke's little memory-napping disrupting that, but deep down in the fox's subconscious, Kurama knows that he loves Hiei. He knows it, but the Kurama that we see now doesn't understand it.

"And if he goes and tries to figure out what that feeling is, I think he's going to get himself and Hiei seriously hurt." Yusuke slowly released Kuwabara's mouth.

"I…" In truth, Kuwabara was still rather squeamish just over the idea of Kurama and Hiei together. However, he nodded. "Then…what should we do?"

"I-I don't know."

-o-o-o-

"Hn." Hiei turned his back to the two teens and started walking again. Kurama stared at them before he turned and jogged ahead to catch up with Hiei.

"Do they always do that?" Kurama asked, glancing over his shoulder again. Yusuke had finally let go of Kuwabara.

Hiei only nodded, snorting in disgust and getting a laugh out of Kurama because of it. The fire demon glanced rather nervously at the fox as he shrugged his shoulders and started walking, looking at Hiei when the youkai hadn't followed.

The fire demon tried to think about what bothered him so much. It was Kurama's lack of care, his lack of…humility. That was what bothered him so much. Long ago, back when Kurama had first stolen the artifacts, Hiei had been so disgusted with the fox's sentimentality.

But now that Kurama no longer had that softness to him, Hiei realized just what he had been missing in the fox. Without humility, Kurama was just as every other demon, only more ruthless.

Kurama, the Kurama that Hiei would dare to call his best friend, was just that because he was different from every other youkai.

Because he cared.

Hiei sighed and opened his mouth. As words that he'd meant to ask Kurama for some time formed in his throat, a sudden feeling of dread hit him like a rock to the head.

"Hiei, watch out!"

-o-o-o-

_Chapter 4_

End

-o-o-o-

I know, a mean place to end.

I also know that I promised action this chapter but…it was already ten pages! That's a lot for one night at 1 o'clock in the morning…and I gotta get up sorta early.

Anyways, I'm sorry, but the ending is leading up to action! See, I did that to make sure that the next chapter will have action, whether I planned it or not.

Please review.

**Author's Notes:**

…_Yes, thank you, Gifu… _Gifu means, as far as I can tell "Stepfather" However, I am trusting an English to Japanese translator on line, and those are not always correct. I would look in my normal dictionary…but I don't have it right now…I kinda left it at my friends house…T.T

**End Author's Notes**


	5. Memories Uncertain pt II

**Disclaimer**: -Sniffle- Someone…someone came in and stole a penny from me! Now I-I only have thirteen cents! -sniffle-

**Review Responses**: Thank you all for reviewing! I mean...HOLY COW I had...like...nine people review. That's a lot for me! ...Plus I had like four of them explode on me...Is that normal?

**Note**: Well, as I promised, this chapter has action!

**Note 2**: (Not that the first comment was really a note, but hey, sue me.) Anyways, On a second/one and one half note, the beginning of this story mentioned snow. I'm going for the fact that there's snow in the temple grounds and forests, and farthest borders of the town, but not much downtown. At least not till it snows again. 8p I hope that makes some sense…

-o-o-o-

**_Memories of the Lost_**

_Chapter 5_

Memories Uncertain (pt II)

-o-o-o-

"Hiei, watch out!"

The fire demon spun as Yusuke shouted out to him. His eyes landed on a flash of blue coming from the ledge of the high concrete wall beside them. The youkai did not have time to react as a solid mass collided with him.

Hiei snarling as he was tackled into the ground, hitting the asphalt with such momentum that he and his attacker were spent rolling into the middle of the street.

"Kurama, get back!" Yusuke shouted out as he ran after the two, whose momentum had now slowed. The two, however, continued to roll as they tried to shove one another away, affectively creating a tug-o-war between the tight clenched fists of the other's clothing.

Yusuke jumped as a car halted to a screeching stop, the car horn blaring as the raven-haired teen landed on the hood with the sound of metal bending under the weight.

He quickly jumped off the car even as a red Subaru was sent careening off the road as the driver tried desperately to avoid the two struggling bodies rolling one way and then the other across the lane. It made for a most interesting game of _Frogger_.

Syunsuke was soon forced to release Hiei's black cloak, however, as Yusuke's head-aimed foot came down hard enough to crack the black concrete. The demon jumped backwards to land in a crouch as Hiei picked himself up.

Somewhere behind them, as the traffic had abruptly came to a halt with screeching tires and blaring horns, there could be heard the shouts of disbelieving humans that would soon be tracked down for memory erase treatment. Yusuke swore somewhat vividly at all the work they had just created for themselves and Koenma (though he was more aggravated on the more the 'themselves' issue.)

Meanwhile, Kuwabara had somewhat roughly pushed the redheaded fox against the concrete wall they had been walking along. The orange haired teen hurriedly ordered him to stay away from the man in blue robes before running across the stopped traffic to join in the quickly escalating fight.

Kurama watched with somewhat widened eyes as Hiei charged the mysterious man, pulling his katana in the last second for a surprise swing at his attackers midsection. Yusuke allowed the distraction to work for his advantage as he took up his place tag-teaming the blue-robed man. He drove his elbow into the back of Syunsuke's neck as the man dodged the sword.

The fox watched in excited awe as Syunsuke recovered shockingly fast to shove Yusuke back, sending him flying into the bumper of the nearest car. Kuwabara slashed at the demon with his rei ken, the sword glittering with its fiery light.

He clumsily ducked and tripped at the same time, narrowly avoiding a high kick from Syunsuke in retaliation. Hiei jumped over the fallen Kuwabara to swing a katana wreathed in black-flame at the demon's neck.

Syunsuke took to four back handsprings as Yusuke tried to stop his second with a kick to the asphalt where the demon's hands landed. The robed demon landed safely a dozen feet away from the three tentai and a dozen feet closer to Kurama.

The fox hardly noticed the nearing danger as he watched the fight with itchy trigger fingers, if you will. Hiei, however, growled and took a high jump, vanishing to the human eye only to appear between the ten feet that separated Kurama and the oncoming threat.

Syunsuke turned to face the fire demon, smiling at the fox behind him. Kurama frowned at the blue-haired youkai, as his smile was anything but happy. It was vengeful, exceedingly enticed by the hunt, and retaining an all around open lust.

The fox suddenly didn't feel so excited about the fight.

There was something about the demon before him that made him want to growl out in frustration and anger. He simply, for some reason he could not quite grasp, wanted to shout out, "Oh, give up already! You're not getting any!"

Of course, he refrained from such an absurd thought.

"Leave him alone." That was the demand that replaced his strange shout as Hiei shifted his katana into a defensive stance. "We no longer possess the amulet, Syunsuke."

_'So this is the demon with my memory,'_ Kurama muttered mentally, although he had already figured as much. He watched the man carefully. Indeed, as Syunsuke shifted his gaze away from the redhead, both eye and smile lost their lustful tint.

The fox's frown deepened. He knew that many pined after him, whether he meant it in a conceited way or simple truth. However, the look had an almost knowing ring of lust to it, and that along with the rather random outburst he had almost shouted lead Kurama to wonder if the demon had done more than just pining.

If the frown could get any deeper, it would create permanent lines in his face. Had Hiei withheld information from him? Could he have done something…or perhaps had something done _to_ him?

The more that Kurama thought about it, the more and more perfectly it fit. And not unwillingly, either. If he gave it logical reasoning, the likelihood of retrieving an amulet from the demon before him without notice was…well, slim at best. However…a distraction would have created the simplicity needed to pull it off.

Would he, the nine-teen-year-old him, have done something like that for the sake of a mission? For some reason, Kurama knew that was a rhetorical question.

"Damn, I really don't think I like myself anymore!" Kurama muttered under his breath as he looked down to stare at his body. _'How the Hell could I have done that to myself? And with him! Oh, I think I'm going to be sick!'_

Meanwhile, the full-force battle had continued on as Syunsuke quickly charged Hiei. As Yusuke jumped two car hoods to get back into the battle, the fire demon blocked the assault of a short sword that had seemingly come from nowhere.

As the fire demon was pushed back, Syunsuke surprised the youkai by shoving him away and off of his sword. Such a move left Hiei unprepared as the blue-robed demon spun and landed a hidden kick to the fire demon's chest. Hiei went flying back into the concrete wall not two feet from Kurama.

Yusuke, as Hiei went through the hard wall, jumped high into the air off of the hood of a dark blue Toyota. He came slamming down almost on top of the blue-robed demon to smash an energy-charged fist into Syunsuke's cheek. The demon went flying.

Landing with the impact to make several small craters as he rolled across the pavement like a rock skipping over water, Syunsuke came to a halt beside a black Tacoma. Even as the robed man opened his silvery blue eyes, they widened as a glowing orange sword came crashing down upon his head.

Kuwabara blinked as he saw the after image of Syunsuke get cut in two, only to find the body gone several milliseconds after.

The demon stood up several feet away and dusted himself of the small flecks of rubble and dirt. Kuwabara growled but Yusuke beat him to the punch (quite literally) as he charged yet again.

Syunsuke merely side-stepped, but Yusuke had, for once, thought ahead and swung around, side sweeping the demon with a wide kick as the detective spun around. Luckily for Syunsuke, and not so much for the raven-haired teen, the demon managed to catch the foot. Yusuke shouted out as he was swung, flying through the air.

Kurama, who had been helping Hiei out of the rubble and was pulling him to his feet, turned at the shout. The fire demon beside him didn't even have time to give warning as Yusuke came slamming into the redhead's lithe body.

"Kurama!" Hiei shouted out as the fox and Yusuke both were carried into the wall, creating a crater next to the hole that Hiei's crash had punctured right through the concrete.

Yusuke groaned as he and Kurama slid to the ground, both dazed and unable to breath. Even as Hiei blinked next to the raven-haired teen, he had no time to help as Syunsuke appeared behind him.

Caught unaware as he should not have been, the fire demon was sent flying backwards as Syunsuke took a grip of his wrist and flung him back. The fire demon snarled an "oof" as Kuwabara managed to soften his fall. The two went flying across the road, the orange-haired teen landing hard on his bottom before momentum carried the two rolling off in different directions.

Yusuke, who was currently trying to catch his lost breath and stop the constant whirl of the world through his vision, punched out as a grip tightened on his neck.

Syunsuke easily dodged the punch and threw the detective in a similar way to the shorter fire demon, only with different aim. Yusuke groaned heavily as he landed on his shoulder, effectively smashing the hood of a car in.

"I hope short people drive this car," he muttered as he fought to get back up, leaving the roof a good two feet closer to the ground. Shaking his head and yelling at himself for coming off weak, he fought back the dizziness that the crash into the wall had caused.

Kurama, who had had more problems with breathing than vision, gasped as his windpipe was quickly cut off by the tight grip of a sharp-nailed hand. He was easily slammed back into the crater that his and Yusuke's body had already created. With a surprisingly weak grip, he grasped onto the hand strangling him.

Syunsuke pressed three of his fingers against Kurama's left temple. The fox, however, caught on to what he was trying to do and fought desperately to stay out of contact, despite his dwindling air supply.

"No," Kurama gasped out as he released one of his hands from the arm to try and hold off the probing fingers. "You're…not getting any more…of my memories!"

Kurama threw the arm back as his senses came back to him even when his breath could not. Syunsuke, who growled at the delay of his plans tried another tactic, knowing that the other three tentai would quickly regain their ability to fight.

The fox let out a gargled shout as a knee was slammed into his stomach. He could feel his entire insides groan in protest as the kick seemed likely to slam through his back and into the concrete.

All resistance died in the moment of shock and pain, and Syunsuke quickly pressed his fingers to Kurama's temple. The fox had no more time for swallowing the pain of the kick as his mind suddenly fired off in a new protest of pain.

He screamed as his vision started to blacken from the fiery pain shooting through his head like a ping-pong ball. Panic overwhelmed his senses at the immense flood of pins and needles that insisted on racking his brain and he let go off all sane thinking. He wildly struck out in every physical manner, desperate to get free of the pain.

Yusuke rolled off the car, staggering to his feet as muscles ached in protest. Somewhere in the far corner of his mind his thoughts registered that he shouldn't have been that worn out or that tired already.

But those thoughts were buried as a scream ripped through the air. The people who had so quickly run and hid for cover when the fight began and then dared to peep out at the sudden calmness, flinched as one does when nails are raked across a chalkboard.

Yusuke shot out of his hazy world of aches and pains. Quite suddenly, he felt as he should have: a little battered, a little bruised, but otherwise fine and ready for another go of fighting.

Not bothering to take the time to even mutter, "What the hell?" Yusuke's brown eyes took in Syunsuke pressing Kurama against the ruined wall, a hand pressed to the fox's head.

"No!" Yusuke shouted out as he started towards the demon. However, Kuwabara surprisingly beat him to it as he tackled the blue-robed man. Syunsuke shouted out as the teen landed on his back, slamming punches into the top of his head as he practically rode piggyback.

Kurama gave a final scream as he tore away from the fingers. Syunsuke threw him to the side by the hand still wrapped around his throat. With a gasp, he landed on his side on the road, the back of his head connecting with a sound thud to the edge of the curb.

He went rolling a few feet to come to rest next to a randomly abonded car. Blackness consumed his vision as pain burst behind his eyes, shooting from the back of his skull.

With a very demonic snarl, Syunsuke managed to throw- slash -shake the determined teen off of him. As Yusuke swung a charged fist at him, he jumped into the sky, landing on the edge of the now-severely damaged wall. With a soft snort of disgust, he turned and disappeared off the other side in a flutter of blue robes.

Yusuke swore rather vividly as he turned back around to find Hiei now beside Kurama. The fire demon looked up, blood coating his hand. The detective's eyes widened at the crimson liquid and ran to Kurama's side.

"His head is bleeding badly. We have to get him to Genkai and Yukina," Hiei said in a surprisingly calm voice. Yusuke nodded as Kuwabara managed to walk up to them, limping some.

"Go, Hiei," Yusuke ordered and the fire demon glanced back to him as he began wrapping his white scarf around Kurama's head. "Go warn Genkai that we're coming. You're faster than us."

Hiei gave a glance down at the fox as Yusuke bent down and took the scarf from the fire demon, applying pressure as the demon had been doing. Hiei finally nodded. "If he wakes up…"

The fire demon trailed off and Yusuke only gave him a sincere, comforting look. "We'll take care of him. Go!"

Hiei gave a quick nod as he pulled away, jumping into the air before bouncing off the hood of a car for more leverage. Yusuke watched him go before he carefully hoisted Kurama into his arms. He turned to Kuwabara, who was trying not to show the limp in his leg.

"Can you walk?" the raven-haired teen asked and Kuwabara nodded, giving a brave façade, wild grin, and boasting rant, even as pain lanced up and down his leg. He quickly shoved it aside as Yusuke started to jog across the street.

"Wait, Urameshi!" Kuwabara stopped his friend as Yusuke was about to break into a run. Compelled by the pain that he felt in his leg, the knowledge of realizing that he would not be able to keep up, and the state that Kurama was in, Kuwabara decidedly motioned to a stopped car.

He walked over to it and opened the door. It was unlocked, just as he had a feeling it would be from speed of earlier abandonment. Yusuke frowned, but decided that hesitation could be deadly to the fox and climbed in the back seat, positioning Kurama on his lap so he could continue applying pressure to the wound.

"Hey!" a shout echoed from the curb and both turned to see a man standing, briefcase in hand. "That's my car!"

"Yeah, well," Yusuke shouted back, "this is an emergency! Besides, it's not like you're going to remember by tomorrow!"

With a frown, the man had no retort as he watched Kuwabara turn the ignition on.

"Hold on," Kuwabara warned as he slammed his foot onto the gas. Yusuke almost yelped as the car went speeding forward, nearly slamming into another abandoned car.

"Sheesh, Kuwabara! Did you fail Driver's Ed or something?" he asked as he tightened his grip on Kurama, pulling the fox closer to him. The car went careening around a corner in about a ninety-degree turn at somewhere close to sixty.

"Hey, I didn't hit anything, alright!"

-o-o-o-

Yukina rushed into the room with a bowl of steaming warm water as Yusuke laid Kurama down on the low futon. Hiei quickly replaced his no longer white scarf with a cloth dampened in an herbal potion.

Kuwabara and Yusuke backed off to the side of the room as Genkai came in. Hiei continued applying pressure even as the old master stretched her hands out over the fox's limp body. Kurama began to glow in the golden light that the master's healing bathed one in.

Within seconds, Hiei released the cloth and placed it aside, the wound fully healed to leave only a light scar and blood soaked hair. Yukina stepped in to place a hot towel over his forehead. The temperature outside had quickly dropped as Yusuke and Kuwabara raced up the slippery, snow-covered steps of the temple.

Keeping the fox warm would be a necessity even past healing him. In the state of which his mind was currently, the possible susceptibility to illness might have increased.

Hiei backed off as Yukina was charged with checking for any missed injuries. Genkai stood and walked over to the three boys, the two tallest having been watching Kurama.

"You say that Syunsuke stole more of his memory?" she asked as she glanced at each boy. Yusuke nodded.

"Yeah, but Kuwabara stopped him after just a minute. I don't think he got much off the fox-boy," the raven-haired teen shortly recapped and Genkai nodded. She turned to Kuwabara.

"Come with me; you're injured," the master ordered, motioning with a nod of her head to the orange haired teen's leg. "Despite you're courage, Kuwabara, a broken leg is nothing to let go."

Kuwabara gave a sort of sheepish grin before allowing Genkai to escort him limping out of the room. Yusuke snorted, but smiled at his friend's bravery. He shook his head, however, to keep from laughing.

Hiei, who said nothing nor showed any change in his expressionless face, inwardly thanked the teen. He had swallowed pain to help Kurama, his friend, and Hiei felt compelled to express gratitude…which would never ever leave his thoughts under the punishment of death by humiliation.

Silence fell over the room as the two left, leaving only Yukina to make noise as she set to making the fox as comfortable as possible and cleaning up anything they had used to heal him.

"So when do you think he'll wake up?" the teen finally asked after his gaze had drifted back over to Kurama, causing his sober side to surface once again. Hiei shrugged.

"I don't know, but I have a feeling that it won't be too long now," Hiei replied as he watched the sleeping fox. Kurama's chest was rising evenly and he looked as if he had simply dozed off for a nap.

Yukina removed the wet cloth to soak and replace it back on his forehead. Kurama shifted slightly, but did not wake. After checking the back of his head for the third time, the ice maiden stood and stepped back with the used and extra bandages, and the bowl of herbal mixture.

She turned to Hiei and gave a light bow. "He appears to be fine. The only thing left to determine is the state of his memory."

Hiei nodded and offered a grateful smile at Yukina, who returned it with a full beam. Yusuke sighed and leaned against the wooden wall, sinking to a sitting position after several seconds.

"What happened back there?" Yusuke asked as he recalled his strange lapse of complete tiredness and lack of fighting capability. Hiei looked over to the detective, picking up on what he meant by his less-than-highly guarded surface thoughts.

"So you felt it too," Hiei gave his reply in the form of question. Yusuke nodded. The fire demon shifted, pushing his hands into the pockets of his cloak. As he thought about it, he quietly replied, "It happened when Syunsuke touches us."

Yusuke frowned. "What?"

"Think about it," Hiei explained somewhat patiently for the normally impatient fire demon. "Kuwabara was up and attacking Syunsuke before either of us could reach him, and we were both closer…"

As Hiei trailed off suggestively to allow Yusuke to figure it out on his own, the teen snapped his fingers. "But he wasn't touch by Syunsuke!"

"Exactly," Hiei continued, closing his eyes as he leaned his head back against the temple wall. "Syunsuke had touched both of us as he flung us back, you even prior to myself, when he flung you into Kurama."

"And that's when I started feeling so…tired." Hiei gave another nod as Yusuke shook his head. "But how is he doing it?"

Hiei shrugged. "I suppose it has something to do with the fact that he's a mind demon. We'll try and get Koenma to give us more information."

Yusuke nodded. As nothing more came to his head to say, he remained sitting in silence. As Yusuke gave a sigh, rubbing his elbow where he had received a rather rough cut from the pavement, Kurama stirred.

Hiei's eyes shot open and he walked over to the bed beside Kurama's head. Yusuke pulled himself up and joined the fire demon, positioning himself at the foot of the futon, more out of direct sight.

Crystal green eyes slowly flickered open, blinking several times before they managed to focus on a sole figure.

"Hi-Hiei?" Both boys in the room sighed as the fox recognized the youkai. However, the voice seemed much younger than Yusuke had ever heard it. Not to mention the tone was nothing but shock and surprise.

Hiei blinked; he knew that young voice, and was surprised that Kurama could still sound exactly as he did back then. Before he could say anything, however, the kitsune blinked at him and shifted to tilt his head against the pillows.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were going back to Makai…" Kurama sort of trailed off as his eyes took in the raven-haired detective and the rest of the room, including the bed he lay in. "Uh…where is _here_?"

Hiei seemed caught between relief and a groan. He decided for a sigh somewhere in between. "You're safe, Kurama. This is a temple just outside of Tokyo."

The mentally ten-year-old version of Kurama nodded, eyes slightly taking on the strangely innocent look of an older child. Hiei sat down on the edge of the bed, sitting next to the fox's chest.

"Kurama, I need to tell you som-" Hiei did not get to finish as Yukina walked into the room and smiled.

"Oh, Kurama-san, you're awake!" she said happily as she gave a cheerful smile, but kept her distance. She knew that the fox was not likely to have any idea who she was, hence the avoidance of using her normal greeting of Kurama-kun.

Kurama gave a frown and motioned to Hiei even as he sat up, keeping the covers pulled around him. The fire demon had a feeling he knew what was coming as déjà vu of the last memory loss filled his mind.

He leaned in all the same as Kurama whispered, "Hiei, is that your sister? She looks just like you!" Hiei looked down as Kurama's piercing green eyes locked with his red ones, the former smiling in their own way. "I'm glad that she was in the Ningenkai, after all. She's beautiful!"

Hiei wasn't sure how to respond. Kurama had never told him that he was happy he had found her. And now twice in only a matter of days! Before, it had always been a question as to why he wouldn't tell her the truth.

It was actually quite comforting to hear something like that from the kitsune. Hiei couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, Fox."

Kurama tilted his head curiously, as a puppy might. The kitsune gave a smile. "Fox? I didn't know you knew who I really was, Hiei. But leave it to you to figure it out. But Fox…Hmm…I like it!"

Hiei's smile grew slightly. Yusuke watched as the two just stared at each other, both with some form of smile on their face. He turned to Yukina, seeing if she felt as awkward as he did.

The ice maiden was beaming at the two. Yusuke felt a hell of a lot less comfortable. He could only pray that this was just the way Kurama acted when he was younger.

Otherwise, the tragedy that Koenma had warned him about might become much more of a reality.

"Ahem," Yusuke gave a weird cough in the back of his throat. Hiei's smile dropped automatically and he turned to the raven-haired detective.

"We should let the other's know he's awake," the teen reminded him and Hiei nodded, standing from the bed. He turned as Yusuke looked ready to leave to do so.

"Let Genkai know that he's now nine years younger."

-o-o-o-

_Chapter 5_

End

-o-o-o-

Yay! This chapter's done!

I hope the wait was worth it.

**Author's Notes**:

…_humans that would soon be tracked down for memory erase treatment…_ At the end of the series, it has Hiei erasing memories of Humans that wandered over the border of the two worlds. I'm simply stating that someone in the Reikai will have the duty of rounding up these humans and fixing everything so that no one knows anything happened. A pain, yes, but then again no one planned for a demon to tackle them in the middle of a busy street.

…_watched the fight with itchy trigger fingers, if you will…_ The line is just stating that Kurama wants to join the fight. Someone with itchy trigger fingers is dying to pull the trigger. Well, the fox is dying to join in the fight, but is holding back simply because everyone (but mainly Hiei) told him to avoid this guy.

…_How the Hell could I have done that to myself? And with him! Oh, I think I'm going to be sick…_ I mentioned it in the first chapter. Kurama did so only to get back the amulet. He took neither pleasure nor pride in doing what he did. He did it only for the mission.

…_he shouldn't have been that worn out or that tired already…_This will be explained even more in the next chapter. There is a reason why they seemed so tired and sluggish. And I bet most of you can figure it out.

I'll give you a hint: It has to do something on a psychological level.

…_state of which his mind… susceptibility to illness might have increased…_ although this is not true in this story, they are going to take no chances.

…_Despite you're courage, Kuwabara, a broken leg is nothing to let go…_ Hey, I may not love Kuwabara, but I do believe that he is the most noble and courageous on the team. He serves his purposes, and for that I give him a huge credit when it comes to teamwork, friendship, and a mixture of courage and loyalty. I still don't love him though.

…_Hiei explained somewhat patiently for the normally impatient fire demon… _I'm sure that some of you have noticed that my work is filled with oxymoronic phrases like these. No, it's not because I couldn't think of any vocabulary to replace them. I happen to enjoy oxymoronically structured sentences.

**End Author's Notes**

Anyways, I hope this chapter had a good amount of action, and there's more talk next chapter…sorry but you gotta have it!

Please review.


	6. Memories Forgotten

**Disclaimer**: I spent all my pennies on a gumball. Now I own nothing but a gumball.

**Review Responses**: I owe each and every one of my readers a thanks, and each and every reviewer my undying gratitude and ten cyber cookies each!

(I finally got more cookies! Now… --eyes audience suspiciously-- I just have to figure out who stole them from the cookie jar in the first place… )

**Kuranga108** asked why Syunsuke stole Kurama's memory. It seemed rather pointless unless he wanted a child as his lover. Syunsuke does **not** want a ten-year-old Kurama. That is definitely not the purpose; he isn't a pedophile (last time I checked, anyways.)

Syunsuke is toying with him and the rest of the group. Messing with their heads, making them angry. That sort of thing. Beyond that, you'll find out; Hiei is still figuring it out himself.

-o-o-o-

**_Memories of the Lost_**

_Chapter 6_

Memories Forgotten

-o-o-o-

Yusuke leaned against the hard wood of the temple wall, this legs and arms crossed in his impatient stance. Giving a huff, the raven-haired teen turned to look at his companion, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground beside him.

Chocolate brown eyes could easily interpret the random twitches and movements as a sign of similar boredom. Said orange-haired companion was currently blowing huffs of breath into his pompadour hairstyle, watching the few short strands sway in effect.

Kuwabara gave a loud, annoyed sigh.

Yusuke turned to his left, where the brown-haired, junior god stood. Koenma looked much less impatient and more worried than the other two. However, this was most likely because the two previous members spoken of were impatient due to their worry.

That, though, is not the point. Koenma stood to the side, leaning on no wall and crossing no limb. His sparkling, amber eyes were staring tirelessly on the floor of the hall. Although he was as impatient as the others were worried (and the others were as worried as he was impatient) he stood silently by, waiting until Hiei gave word to do otherwise.

Across from Koenma stood the beautiful Yukina, her arms clasped in worry as she glanced from the others in the hall to the Japanese styled doorway. Her crimson eyes that so painfully reminded everyone of her relations were worried near the point of tearing, but she made sure to hold them back, as none of the others were having the same problem.

Beside the young koorime was an even shorter woman, her fading pink hair hanging down in waves. Her deep brown eyes were closed, her head bowed as if asleep as she stood with her arms crossed, passing the time.

And sitting on the ground, legs partially brought to her chest, Botan twiddled her thumbs worriedly, glancing every so often at the door. She gave a sigh and leaned her head back, bumping it loudly against the wall.

"How much longer is that damn shrimp going to be?" Kuwabara growled as he took after Botan and began bumping his head against the wall repeatedly. Yusuke uncrossed his legs as his left began to go numb from putting his whole weight against it at an angle.

"Well, there is a lot for Hiei to go over," Botan reasoned as she glanced over at Kuwabara, who did not seem satisfied with that answer.

"Believe it or not, Kuwabara," Koenma began, stopping whatever comment Yusuke might have said, knowing it would have done nothing but provoke an argument, "Kurama was actually rather shy when he was ten. It came about with his mother's sickness and the growing battle against Youko."

"…Huh?" Kuwabara asked, clearly missing the last bit. "What do you mean, battle? I thought he _was_ Youko! How can he have a fight with himself?"

Koenma gave a nod only to confuse the orange-haired man more as Genkai cracked an eye open to glance at the god. "Yes," he continued, "Kurama is Youko. However, the two had been raging a silent war up to that point. It had been subtle until then, and Youko had mostly been winning.

"You see, until Shiori's fatal sickness, Shuichi and Youko mostly lived in a sort of co-existent state in which Shuichi followed Youko's instruction with no resistance," Koenma explained, his voice carrying over the hallway as he had captured the others' attention.

"But when Shiori fell ill and Youko began feeling guilty, he buried himself within Shuichi, no longer sure of his morals or his future. At that point, Shuichi no longer had the strong, confident youko within him to tell him what to do.

"And, to worsen matters, Shuichi learnt of Youko's plan to abandon him to the demon realm, and the fox spirit's guilt doubled, as his human host began to grow on him. The human part of Kurama grew shy and unsure of himself until shortly before stealing the artifacts of darkness," Koenma shifted slightly as he drew his little mini history lesson to an end.

"Anyways, the point is that Kurama's shyness was repressed after meeting Hiei. Although his true self was still far hidden until he reached the age of fifteen, his most vulnerable point in his human life was at the age of ten, when Youko first left him to his own decisions."

"And that was currently four months, two weeks, and six days ago." Everyone turned to see Hiei, leaning in the doorframe. No one had heard him slide open the door, all too distracted in the god's speech.

"Hiei!" Botan shouted as she stood up, Kuwabara doing the same. Yusuke pushed off the wall and approached the fire demon first, being the closest. "How is he, Hiei?"

The fire demon glanced up at him before turning back to the room and closing the door, muttering something to its occupant. He turned back to the others, his hands behind him on the handle of the door.

"He's up to speed, if that's what you mean," the fire demon said, answering Yusuke. The teen gave an aggravated sigh.

"You know what I meant, Hiei!" Yusuke growled and the fire demon just gave him a blank glare and blinked.

"He's terrified, shocked, and completely unsure of himself. Just as every ten year old would be if he'd just been told that he's in a nine-teen-year-old body, able to switch into Youko, known as a traitor by hundreds of demons and wanted for such, heir to one third of the Makai, chased by a psychotic demon who's out for revenge, and keeping several good friends that he doesn't even know very worried."

Yusuke didn't seem to have an immediate reply to that, but Botan's mouth dropped some inches and Koenma's eyes bulged and his pacifier dropped from his mouth.

"You told him all that!" he asked in a shocked tone that was undoubtedly meant to be angry. Hiei turned his crimson eyes towards the young god and he tilted his head ever so slightly.

"No." The answer seemed to take several long seconds to sink in and when it did most of the people in the hall gave a relieved sigh. Hiei continued in an oddly attached voice, "But that's how scared he is, even when he only knows the first and the last two of that list."

No one really seemed to know how to respond to the weird changes in the fire demon until Yukina stepped forward, her innocent face saddened. "Hiei-san, may we go see him?"

His matching crimson eyes met hers and softened as he gave a small nod. He turned back and slipped inside the door, beckoning the others to follow. As they slipped into the room, they finally caught the first glimpse of Kurama that most had seen in the last half hour, every since Yusuke had come shouting into the tearoom that he was awake.

Kurama was sitting cross-legged on the bed, sitting with a slight slouch in his posture.

His deep green eyes were focused on the ground and reminded the others of a timid child just yelled at for stealing his sister's toy. His thin frame was rigid, even in his slouching, as if he was trying to keep himself from shaking.

And he probably was. Koenma knew that the Kurama before him was going to be unlike any they had before imagined. He was going to be a scared child trying to force himself into acting like the brave Youko he had always had beside him.

While the others gathered into the room, not drawing near to the fox, Hiei strode right over and sat down next to him. Kurama fidgeted and looked like he wanted to move closer to the fire demon, but didn't.

Yukina was actually the first to approach, and she stepped closer to the fox spirit. Kurama looked up, his green eyes widened slightly more than normal and, for all the ways he tried to hide them, the essence of a scared little boy was still locked deep in their depths.

"Kurama-san, I met you earlier when you first awoke," Yukina began softly as she bowed politely to him. "My name is Yukina."

Kurama blinked before smiling softly, seemingly glad that Hiei's sister was as friendly as Hiei had been when he had awoken. Yusuke gladly chose to be the next to try and make the fox more comfortable.

"Hey, I'm Urameshi Yusuke, but you can just call me Yusuke," he said with a cheerful ring in his voice as he grinned at Kurama. Although the child in him seemed a bit nervous by the abruptness, the fox eventually gave the same nervous but appreciative smile.

"I…" Kurama began after the others had eventually named off what he used to call them, which was mostly just the norm, as Kurama had never been one to knick-name. Although he seemed nervous, a quick glance at Hiei, who nodded, seemed to help him a long enough to speak to his newly found (or was it old?) friends.

"I am sorry, but…I don't remember any of you," he spoke quietly and in a soft voice. Koenma smiled gently as he gave the fox demon a nod.

"Nor would we expect you too," he walked forward slightly and crouched down before him so that he was basically at the same height as the fox. When he spoke, it was much as he would had he been addressing a child … which he technically was.

"Kurama, the fact that you can not remember us, or the last nine years is not your fault. I am sure Hiei already told you this, but we will get your memory back," Koenma gently lifted Kurama's chin as he had begun to focus his eyes back on the ground. "We're your friends, Kurama-kun, we only want to help you, and we _will_ get back everything the demon took. All that I ask is that you trust us."

The fox seemed hesitant for a long time before he glanced briefly to Hiei, but Koenma shook his head. "Kurama-kun, I need _your _answer. I understand that you feel lost and alone, and that you do not know me. But I need you to answer me, not Hiei. I already know what his answer will be."

Kurama stared into the young god's amber eyes for another long moment of uncertainty before he finally nodded. "Okay," he answered in a small voice. "I trust you."

Koenma smiled and released his gently hold on the fox's chin, giving it a soft, but playful bump with his knuckle. Yusuke smiled at his koi as the god backed off, having played his uncle-job and given Kurama a little more security.

As Koenma stepped back into his place next to the raven-haired detective, Yusuke gently gripped his hand, entwining his fingers with the god's. "You'd make a good father, Koi."

Koenma blinked before blushing a very dark shade of red, making the detective chuckle slightly. That was before he realized that Kurama was staring at them with curious eyes.

It was Yusuke's turn to blush.

But Kurama's childish innocent didn't seem to push anything or even make the connection that was right before him, so Yusuke just broke eye contact and chose to stair at the wall.

Yukina stepped up next to Hiei and bowed again to Kurama, a friendly smile on her face. "May I get you something to eat, Kurama-san?"

Kurama started to glance at Hiei before he stopped, and changed his gaze over to Koenma, who raised an eyebrow at the fox. Breaking the eye lock first, Kurama turned back to Yukina and nodded slowly.

"That…would be very nice, Yukina-san."

Beaming, Yukina merrily left to go prepare some delicious form of food for the fox. Genkai turned her eyes over to the fox, strode forward and plopped down on the ground beside the bed, the kitsune to her left.

Kurama blinked for a second, very taken back by the abrupt old master. Hiei barely held back a snort of derisive laughter at Kurama's reaction. Yusuke glanced at Koenma, who shrugged.

And out of nowhere, Kuwabara strode forward and copied Genkai, sitting opposite her with the bed on his right. She nodded approvingly as she began talking to the group as a whole.

"We need to devise a plan to defeat Syunsuke once and for all. We no longer have the leisure of time. Soon, if the demon gets another shot at Kurama, we will run out of human memories and explaining all this to Youko will be a very different experience altogether. One we would like to avoid."

Yusuke was the last to sit down, forming a sort of circle as Kurama slipped off the bed and sat on the ground next to Genkai, surprising Hiei who followed suit after a brief consideration. He preferred windows and doorways with quick exits.

"Well, it's obvious that Syunsuke is going to use Kurama's disposition against us, and for his advantage," Koenma reasoned (pointlessly as it was obvious) and Botan nodded.

"Yes, and he'll most likely do so by putting us in a position in which we can't get to Kurama…" she continued and Yusuke frowned.

"But to do that we'd have to leave him alone…" Yusuke replied as he looked at the others, glancing at Kurama also. "Which mean's he'll be expecting us to come looking for him, leaving Kurama."

"…Where he would be safe and far away from Syunsuke," Kuwabara put in as he managed to keep up. Kurama's eyes continuously seemed to be lowering farther to the ground as the ones around them continued to speak as if he wasn't there.

But was he really there? It all seemed like such a dream. Just last week he had been attacked by an angry fire demon looking for his sister, only to team up with him in the end.

Only last week he had taken home a collapsed fire demon and healed him within the confines of his bedroom, hidden away from his mother. Only seven days ago had he whispered his true name for the first time in ten years.

And now…now he was sitting in a foreign temple in the midst of half a dozen people he didn't know (and who claimed to be his friends) in a nine-teen-year-old body of himself. Hiei had said that he and Youko now coexisted, that they could even jump between forms freely.

But…if that was true, then where was Youko's voice, now? He would have been happy to hear the fox's voice, as it had disappeared behind a wall of guilt and depression.

Shuichi missed that confident guide that used to be by his side, leading his life and keeping him safe. He missed the voice, despite its harsh coldness and mocking way of ningen life.

He just missed Youko.

"And since he'll be expecting that, it will be exactly what we _won't_ do," Genkai interrupted Kurama's thoughts and his eyes glanced up to the wizened master. "So let's switch it around and figure out how to bring him to us, and keep Kurama away from him."

"Let's get to it," Koenma said as they began giving different suggestions. Kurama glanced at Hiei as he watched on silently, hearing every word.

-o-o-o-

"Hiei?"

The fire demon turned his head at the sound of his name, taking in Kurama's figure beside him. As the fire demon shifted the light plastic bag in his arms, he raised one eyebrow.

"…Wh…where is Youko?"

Hiei frowned at the question but continued walking though the thick cover of the woods. They were nearing the temple stairs.

There wasn't much time left.

"He and you are one, Kurama," the fire demon answered in a subdued, but still firm voice as he turned his gaze back to the trees ahead of them. "When Syunsuke took your memory, his was lost as well. He remembers nothing more than you do."

Kurama's green eyes lowered to the forest floor. He hugged the small grocery back to his chest in a feeble attempt to wrap himself in some semblance of comfort. "So…I won't hear his voice again, will I?"

Hiei looked back over his shoulder at the fox. "What makes you think that?"

"He hates me," came Kurama's quiet and sorrowful answer. "I know you said that we co-exist in the fut- … erm…In this body…but he hates me so much."

Hiei actually snorted at this, causing Kurama's head to snap up and his green eyes to focus on the fire demon. But the youkai had returned to observing the trees.

"He doesn't hate you. He's ashamed…" Hiei trailed off as he realized that he was delving deep into the information that he had only inferred from watching Kurama for so many years.

"Ashamed?" The young human did not seem to pick up on Hiei's hesitation. The fire demon frowned and gave a shrug.

"Never mind. Forget I said anything." And that was the end of the conversation. Kurama might not have known Hiei long, but he had long thought of how the fire demon acted and had been prepared for such an answer.

And so the conversation was not continued.

But after a long pause as the two demons continued walking towards the temple, Kurama could not keep his questions back any longer. "Hiei…what am I like?"

The fire demon once more sighed; déjà vu seemed to make itself a permanent theme for the day. He looked over to see Kurama's innocent and curious eyes.

He gave in and supplied an answer, though vague and avoiding as it was. "Fox, you shouldn't worry yourself so much. But…" Hiei glanced away, once more scanning the trees before he continued, "you are different."

Kurama was about to ask for more, perhaps a bit more detail to help in answering his question. Or, at least more helpful than "different" but before he could, Hiei cut him off.

"We should keep moving, Fox. We have to get back before they add the last ward."

The fox frowned slightly but he nodded and started walking a little faster to keep up with the fire demon.

Hiei glanced once more into the woods around them, his crimson eyes scrutinizing over every tree. With a frown, he turned back and started up the stairs.

_'We're running out of time.'_

As Kurama followed Hiei in ascending the steps, he failed to notice the pair of lustful eyes watching after them.

-o-o-o-

_Chapter 6_

End

-o-o-o-

Not my favorite chapter by far - I feel it's a drab of a chapter and poorly written at that. Please forgive me for the lack of comparability to my other chapters.

However, please still review and tell me what you thought.


	7. Memories Forgotten pt II

**Disclaimer: **I won the lottery and bought _a lot _of gumballs. So I own all of them, but still no anime.

**Notes**: Again, I must apologize for the last chapter in all its drab and boringness. This chapter will be better I hope.

Plus, say farewell to the four-month long writer's block! Buh-bye, don't come back soon!

-o-o-o-

_**Memories of the Lost** _

_Chapter 7_

Memories Forgotten (pt II)

-o-o-o-

Yusuke was pacing about, to and fro, on the temple porch. Every third turn he would glance out over the grounds to the top of the stairs. Kurama and Hiei would appear at the top of the stairs any minute now...

...Any minute...

"It shouldn't be taking this long!" Kuwabara cursed out Yusuke's exact thoughts, and he turned to look at his orange-haired companion, leaning against the doorframe of one of the temple entrances.

"They're okay..." Yusuke muttered, attempting to comfort his friend. He tried to give a supporting smile, but it was rather weak. "I'm sure they are. Hiei would have given off the signal if they were really in troubl-"

Yusuke didn't finish his sentence as a low shout echoed across the grounds. Both teens, as well as Genkai and Koenma, both of who had been standing just within the confines of the temple walls, turned to the sound, the latter exiting the safety of the building.

Kurama had just topped the stairs and began running with everything he could (actually surprising himself with his own speed: he wasn't used to having such long legs!) He was hardly panting, a light increase in his breath the only thing to betray his recent run.

Yusuke cursed as he jumped off the porch, landing on the ground several feet below and already running towards the stairs. As he passed Kurama, with Kuwabara in tow, he gave a smile.

"You know what to do, kid!" he shouted out. Kurama nodded, not the least bit offended at the 'kid' comment. After all...he was, wasn't he?

Or...well...it was comforting to be treated the age he...thought he was?

Kurama mentally shook off his confusion. This was simply to confusing to logically sort out so he quickly gave out as he jumped, leaping onto the porch and skidding to a halt next to Koenma (and overshooting enough to skid several feet further.)

"Stupid, long, pointless, legs!" he growled under his breath as he managed to stop, still not used to his body of his, which was a good two feet taller than he was comfortable with.

"This way, Kurama," Koenma spoke gently, his voice still one who would assume an uncle's position. Kurama turned and hurriedly followed after the Junior God as he disappeared into the temple.

Waiting in the room just beyond the doorway was Botan and Yukina. The former smiled gently, her hair bouncing as she physically expressed her bubbly nature. Yukina smiled sweetly at Kurama and gently took his arm as Koenma joined their small group.

"Do not let go of me, Kurama-kun," she said softly as he gently took her hand in his under her instruction. He nodded, his breath evening out as Botan raised her oar in her arm.

"Ready?" she asked her three companions. Koenma gave a sharp nod even as the sounds of fighting exploded just outside the temple walls. Botan gave a smile and twirled her oar slightly.

Kurama's eyes widened as a jolt was sent through his lower chest, between his ribs. He gave a small gasp, his human body never before having traveled into another plane.

The world seemed to swirl around him in a blur of color and speed and he felt his feet gently lift from the floor. And yet, gravity remained with him and he could feel a form of solid energy beneath his feet, acting as a guiding floor.

Seconds later, but what seemed like several very long minutes, the four companions found themselves standing before the Reikai palace, their feet emerged in the soft sands of the natural bridge that spanned the River Styx, a hundred feet beneath them.

"Alright, let's go."

Kurama turned to look at Koenma, who was already striding towards the large doors to the Reikai Palace. The fox took several long moments of silence to stare at the palace, having never seen it before.

"So...this is where Hiei and I stole the..." he trailed off as he looked over to Koenma, who had paused when he saw that his charge was not following. Koenma gave a light, if not nervous smile.

"Yes. But don't get any ideas," he added in a warning tone, though he was smiling widely now. "This is for your protection."

Kurama, his childish mind warming up to this young god, smiled back. "No..." he looked back towards the large palace doors as he started following Koenma, who once more resumed his walk towards the entrance.

"No...of course not."

-o-o-o-

Syunsuke whipped around at the sudden feeling of energy that sparked at the center of the temple. Reikai energy suddenly filled the air and sparked against the negative demon energy that was being used in the battle against the tentai.

Growling, he tried to locate the source and reason for the energy. What were those Reikai brats up to now?

His eyes widened slightly as he caught the scent of fresh air and a slightly salty smell. The smell of a river, tinted with human souls and dusty shores.

"You bastards!" he suddenly screamed as he turned back to Hiei just in time to block a sword strike. As he stood, having dodged to the left, his eyes were gleaming angrily.

"What? You didn't honestly think we'd keep him near you, did you?" Yusuke asked tauntingly even as another burst of energy suddenly surrounded them.

Syunsuke spun to see Genkai, arms spread out in front of her and a large globe of energy forming within her hands as she muttered words unheard by the fighters. As she completed her chant, a shimmering began to surround the temple, raising from the ground to wrap around the forested trees and up over the temple grounds.

"A barrier!" the demon screamed, livid. Hiei smirked as his sword sunk into the ground after another failed attempt at removing his opponent's head.

"Did you think those wards we talked about were for his protection, Syunsuke?" Hiei asked as he stood, red eyes ablaze with anger. "Then you were mistaken." He leveled the sword at the demon's chest, though Syunsuke was far out of reach. "These wards are to keep you in and far away from him."

The blue robed demon sneered, showing how lightly he took their scheme. "Mere wards will not contain me, but...if it's a fight you want, then I would be glad to give you one!"

With that sentence trailing off into a scream, he charged towards Hiei and Yusuke, who now stood close to one another, the latter having joined the fire demon.

The two jumped apart as Syunsuke's fist slammed into the ground where they had stood, leaving a crater in their wake, six feet in diameter.

Genkai muttered as she sat back on the porch, lighting a cigarette to watch the show. "Damn kids destroying my temple."

-o-o-o-

Kurama was there for not more than a half day, a day that could find him sitting silently on the bed of his white room.

The room was nothing spectacular, as one might hope from the guest bedroom of the Reikai Palace. It was bland, with its sparkling white walls and sparse furnishings. A tall wardrobe stood at one end of the room, painted a white with shades of pinks and purples for trim. The bed he sat on was covered in a thick down comforter, white with a trim of purple around the very edges of it.

And that…was just about it.

Except, of course, for the window. Although, there isn't much to report on such an object. It was square, placed in the wall, and covered in thick glass, that slid in and out when one desired fresh air.

Your basic window.

However, the day found Kurama absorbed in said piece of glass, which was slid open. He had his elbows braced against the frames and he lay with his cheek on his hands. Fresh wind tickled his hair against his skin, brushing it back from his face. Green eyes were lidded halfway in content as he stared at the expanse of the Reikai, spread out thirty floors beneath him.

He gave a slight sigh as he shifted his eyes to look down at the river Styx, coming out of the gate of Reikai. His room, on the far side of the gate, had a window view of all of the Spirit World on the other side of the palace. This was the world where spirits came to rest before their rebirthing.

This was the paradise people believed to be heaven.

Kurama sighed once more and closed his eyes briefly when a sudden shout came from outside his room. To be more specific, the sound of footsteps coming down his hall brought the shout (which must have been some ways off) closer.

The fox turned towards his door, staying in the window frame, sitting with his legs tucked somewhat underneath him in an odd impression of Wendy from Peter Pan. Before he could express more than a raised eyebrow, the door all but burst open.

"Kurama?" Yusuke shouted as he stood in the doorway, concern furling his brow. His clothing was ripped in several small locations and covered in dirt, matching his skin which was scratched up and bruised but not severely. His two teammates behind him were in similar condition.

The fox, surprised at the outburst, fidgeted uncomfortably. He really didn't care for shouting, or any voice with such a volume level to it.

"Y-yes?" he asked as he lowered his eyes to the sheets of the bed, tracing a crease with his finger. He was still, despite Koenma's comforting words and the other's best efforts, timid around others.

"…Are you okay?" the sudden bluntness of Yusuke's question, as if the raven-haired detective had been told the fox was laying their bleeding, made Kurama blink.

"Um…yes?" Yusuke's brow furled at his and he strode forward, stopping before a rapidly nervous fox. Reaching out slowly, he took Kurama's arm and pulled it up slightly, exposing the fox's midsection, visible through the half-open, thin white shirt that he wore.

"He's not injured…" Yusuke declared, once more blunt. Kurama blinked as he tried to pull his arm back. The raven-haired detective gave it back, musing his hair once more as he did so.

"Why would I be?" the fox asked softly as he held his wrist in his hand. Yusuke hadn't hurt him, in fact he'd been as gentle as if he'd been handling a baby.

Kurama frowned mentally at that analogy. _'Before, being treated like a kid was comforting…now…I don't know…it's demeaning.'_

"Sorry 'bout that," Yusuke apologized, as if reading Kurama's thoughts. "Not trying to treat you like a kid, or anything. But Botan said you got hurt." He jerked his thumb back over his shoulder and Kurama leaned around him to see Kuwabara, Botan, and Hiei standing in the doorway.

"What?" Botan shouted, blushing a light pink. "I did not, Yusuke, you liar!" she screamed out. "I said he was in his room and didn't want to see anyone!"

"Yeah, normally when that happens, he's injured," Yusuke replied as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Room + alone + not talking injury."

Hiei couldn't hold back the smirk at the face Kurama made. The fox had silently repeated everything the detective had just said in his equation and then screwed up his face as if what was said was a deep secret that he couldn't believe Yusuke knew.

This fox was still unused to having people close enough to him to know his weaknesses, secrets, and thoughts.

But when Yusuke turned back around, Kurama once more looked normal…or as normal as a ten year old stuck in a nine-teen-year old body can look.

"Aw, well sorry, Kurama," Kuwabara started up, a silly grin on his face. Yusuke joined him with the silly grin as he once more mused Kurama's hair before he started towards the door.

"Don't fall out the window!" Yusuke called back to him in a teasing voice as he and Kuwabara started back down the hall, laughing. Botan gave an annoyed sigh and bowed an apology towards Kurama. She then proceeded in finding Koenma to let him know of the arrival of the rest of the tentai.

Kurama's brow furled in the cute look of ignorance and confusion and Hiei walked into the room, kicking the door closed behind him. He crossed over to the room, staring at the fox's face with amusement as he stopped by the bed.

"Have I fallen out a window before, or something?" Kurama asked, looking up to Hiei with wide, green eyes. The fire demon didn't hear the second half of that question as his red eyes met Kurama's.

He stared into those emeralds for a long time, swimming in the beauty of Kurama's face, though he did not realize what he stared at, only that he seemed lost in it. The fox truly looked like a child, once more consumed with a mix of wisdom beyond his human years but ignorance just right for his ningen self.

After a moment, and when he realized that Kurama was expecting an answer, Hiei shook himself. Not quite sure what had just happened, he shrugged slightly, trying to remember the question the fox had asked.

"No…uh…not that I know of," Hiei replied, his thoughts slightly scattered (which bothered him greatly as it was a rare occurrence indeed.) Kurama only seemed to grow more confused at this and, before he could ask why Yusuke and Kuwabara had thought it was so funny, Hiei gave the answer, "Don't think much about what the two idiots say. Their brains don't often catch up with their mouths."

Kurama stared at Hiei with wide eyes, surprised for a minute before he suddenly giggled. The chuckle evolved to a laugh that soon resonated through the whole room as Kurama found himself unable to stop laughing. Clutching at his sides, he doubled over in childish glee.

Hiei, greatly confused by the sudden explosion of mirth, stared at Kurama in a mixture of confusion and worry. As the fox slowly calmed himself, head pushed into the covers so that he was curled into a ball on his knees, he finally gained control of his breathing.

He slowly lifted his tear-stained face to look at Hiei, who was greatly confused and even more so worried at the tears one the kitsune's cheeks. Certainly what he said had not been that funny, especially to the fox, who would normally lift a hand to his mouth and laugh quietly behind it in his stupid ningen manners.

"S-sorry," the fox replied in a soft voice, but it was still filled with hidden laughter. "I just…" Kurama gave a childish smile, squinting his eyes as he tilted his head like a puppy, "I just never thought of you as having much of a sense of humor…though I really haven't known you for very long."

Hiei, who had once more got caught in the fox's face (and angrily shook himself out of it, wondering just what was wrong with him,) blinked in slight surprise, having known Kurama for just about ten years, before he smirked. "Yeah, well, hang around with the Idiot and the Dimwit long enough and you'll get some negative results."

Kurama, who had still been smiling, frowned slightly. He stared at Hiei through his half-pout before he gave a small giggle. "I don't think it's negative, Hiei. I really like that part of you."

Hiei's body froze faster than his mind did as a strange feeling bubbled in his stomach and he slowly turned his head, having been starting to look away, back to the fox. "What did you say?"

The fox looked at the fire demon with a surprised look on his face. In confusion, he repeated. "I like your sense of humor, Hiei. It fits you."

The fire demon looked like he wanted to reply but didn't know the words he wanted to say as his mouth opened several times and he blinked rapidly for a minute.

What the hell was wrong with him? Kurama's words were bringing a tight feeling over his body, as if he were stretched thin over a thick surface. He shook his head slightly, he wasn't sure if he liked the feeling or was disturbed by it.

Well…he certainly was disturbed by it, but he wasn't really sure if he disliked the feeling. It made him feel…more whole, though stretched to accomplish it.

Hiei once more shook his head, quickly changing subjects on the fox. Kurama, who didn't fail to notice, simply went with it, a smile breaking out over his face once more.

"No, Hiei, we got here just fine," Kurama replied to the topic change. "And I am not hurt…th-thank you for asking."

Hiei's brow furled a bit at the light blush that spread over Kurama's features. It was…cute, and he wasn't even sure he knew the definition of such a word.

"Wh-er…what happened to Sy-Syunsuke?" Hiei was once more (and it was beginning to agitate him) pulled form his trance like state. Kurama was fidgeting, his fingers rubbing together in an uncomfortable gesture.

Hiei tried to give a reassuring look about himself, despite his agitation. It worked in reassuring Kurama until his words came out, which were rooted in annoyance. "He got away. Bastard spouted something about our fight boring him and he broke the barrier wards."

"H-how?" Kurama asked in a meek voice.

"We think he tapped one of our minds when he touched us in the fight. It would enable him to actually take control of our conscience and release the barrier." Kurama could immediately tell that Hiei was not happy at the thought of Syunsuke near any of their minds, or able to control them.

"Oh," Kurama whispered without much of anything in his voice. He was worried; he didn't even know what this Syunsuke person looked like, and he was putting Hiei and these other friends of his in danger.

But the fox let go of his doubt for the time being. He had found it hard the first time he had been with Hiei to bring himself to any kind of panic. The fire demon just had a calming effect on the fox that Kurama found himself greatly liking.

After all, Hiei brought about a feeling of safety that he had not had since long before Youko had left him.

-o-o-o-

Hedrick Ovebrock stood outside the large walls of the Reikai palace. As Lord Koenma had ordered, extra guards had been added to the security of the building. And, as a result, Hedrick the oni found himself standing, quite bored, outside the large doors that led to the Hall of Judgment.

The green skinned oni slumped against his spear-like weapon. It wasn't truly a weapon, as he wasn't even sure how to use it. It was more for show.

And rest, as he showed now, slouched against its frame.

It had been hours since he had been posted there, or at least it felt like hours (in actuality it had been forty-seven minutes) and Hedrick was bored out of his mind. Glancing up at the sky to see if he could find any interesting patterns in the clouds, he noticed with a frown that the fluffy objects of his attention were becoming dark.

That was odd; Reikai didn't normally change weather-wise like Ningenkai did unless something was wrong. The sky usually remained its light, cheerful self with little pink and white fluffy clouds hanging in the sky and wrapping around the floating islands.

Hedrick frowned as he stared towards the sky. A sudden drop of water made him flinch out of reflex. He raised a clawed hand and wiped away a raindrop.

And before another thought could be processed about the single water droplet, it began to pour. Water fell from the darkening clouds at an alarming rate, soaking the oni's blue uniform within seconds.

Well, at least he would get to go inside long enough to warn Koenma-sama.

A sudden splash brought Hedrick's attention away from the sky. Standing before him, unnoticed until his booted foot landed in a small puddle forming amidst the rain, was a tall, pale man.

He wore long, flowing robes that did not seem wet or constricted by the recent weather. Long black hair fell down among his brow, the bangs sticking to his forehead slightly in dampness. The rest of the locks fell down his back, once again flowing freely amid the odd weather.

In fact, except for his bangs and face, the man was not wet. None of the ominous falling raindrops touched him. And, for some reason, the oni doubted that his bangs were wet from the falling water.

"U-uh…" Hedrick stumbled on his thoughts before he stood attention, saluting the stranger. "What business do you have in the Reikai Pala- er…Sir?"

The man had drawn nearer to him, not halting with Hedrick's call to attention. The oni stumbled back slightly under the looming gaze of the man before him. Piercing ocean blue eyes stared at him, locking him in a gaze of superiority.

"S-si-" Hedrick never finished his sentence as a hand suddenly shot out at lightening speed. The soft tip of a finger brushed slowly against his brow before Hedrick the oni went stiff as a board and sunk into complete darkness.

-o-o-o-

_Chapter 7_

End

-o-o-o-

Wee-heee that chapter is done!

Okay, yeah yeah, not enough action. There is some though, without a lot of talk…kind of…I don't know, this chapter (surprisingly considering it's content) was a filler chapter (for me at least)

Also, forgive me for any mistakes in there; I have been reading too many stories and my eyes are about to blur. I'm so sorry.

**Author's Notes**

…_After all… when he fought with the fire demon against however-many-arms-he-had… _Kurama and Hiei teamed up against a demon called "Eight Arms" or something like it.

… _Piercing ocean blue eyes stared at him…_ In all honesty, it's been long enough since I wrote this that I really couldn't tell you what his eye color is. And, of course, when I tried to look back through the other chapters, I couldn't find a thing on it.

So, if I already mentioned his eye color, will someone let me know? I don't think I have before (odd for me) but I simply can't find it.

**End Author's Notes**

Please Review.


	8. Memories Forbidden

**Disclaimer**: Don't…-blow-…own…-POP- anything.

**Notes**: Here's the fun chapter! (at least, I think it's fun)

Yeah, yeah, I know; pointless note.

-o-o-o-

**_Memories of the Lost_**

_Chapter 8_

Memories Forbidden

-o-o-o-

Kurama had been watching Hiei for over a half hour now. Surprisingly, the fire demon was sound asleep on the fox's bed. He had, at first, fallen asleep half bent over in a chair with his head on the kitsune's bed, but Kurama had later moved him onto the futon.

The fox was sitting once more by the window, his legs tucked up around him and his arms on the sill. He was resting his cheek against the back of his hand and his gaze was focused on the fire demon, rather than the surrounding landscape.

He watched the quite rise and fall of the demon's chest as he slept peacefully away on his side and slightly curled in on himself beneath the covers.

When he had tried to move the fire demon, Kurama was greatly surprised to see that Hiei did not awaken. Having known the youkai for little more than a day (at least by memory) he was sure that the demon's natural survivor instinct would have woken him the second someone touched him.

But, then again, survivor instinct wouldn't have allowed him to fall asleep in Kurama's presence either.

Slowly, moving closer to the fire demon with the stealth of a thief but the style of a child (and in an adults body, no less) he knelt beside Hiei. He leaned over, tucking his long hair over his shoulder until he drew within a foot of the small youkai's child-like face.

"You are so trustful now, Hiei," he whispered to the unhearing ears of the fire demon, sleeping soundly after using so much energy on Syunsuke. He had, after all, needed a few hours of sleep long ago but wouldn't risk it without knowing that Kurama had gotten to the palace safely.

Said fox silently lay down beside the youkai, pressing his face into the pillow covered by the fire demon's wild hair. He breathed in the deep scent, his eyes scanning the soft-skinned face of Hiei. With a light finger, he traced the hiyoukai's jaw with an almost awed expression.

"I wonder…" he once more whispered to the air and suddenly, his voice no longer sounded like a child's. "If you are now so trusting…do you know?"

Only silence answered his question. But, instead of an answer, the fox happily lay as a warmth spread through his body, sending shivers down his spine every time his skin brushed against the fire demons.

He wasn't stupid; he knew what the feelings meant, though he definitely had not experienced them for himself, other than what Youko claimed he missed.

After more than ten minutes of the quite contentment had passed, Kurama gave a low chuckled and climbed back up to his knees. But before he headed back over to the his window, he smiled down at the fire demon in both childish love and a content known only to one who has given everything away and never had it returned, yet is happy because of it.

"I don't think you do," he whispered as he leaned down over the fire demon once more. Quickly and silently, he placed a light kiss on the youkai's cheek.

"And that's okay. Because I'll keep it with me until the day I die, Hiei…" With that, Kurama snuck back to the window, and resumed his quite observation of the surrounding Reikai landscape.

-o-o-o-

Koenma was sitting at his desk, blowing puffs of air randomly and watching his bangs shoot up then flat back down to a similar position. While doing this, his eyes half-lidded and head propped up by his hand, he continuously stamped papers, barely glancing at them before pressing on.

He was about to start his three hundred and fifty-seventh "puff" when the doors to his office slammed open. Koenma, junior lord of hell, toppled backwards in surprise and fell right out of his chair, hitting the top of his head on the floor.

"Ow, god damn it!" he swore loudly as he pulled himself up to a standing position, turning next to his chair that lay on the ground. He did not glance up as he grumbled lowly, attempting to maintain his calm (after all, Yusuke had been tying to get him to stop loosing his temper with his workers) "What do you want?"

"Sir!" the young oni that had burst into his office had a deep green skin and was wearing the standard Rekai uniform of navy blue. Only, Koenma noticed with surprise, it was soaked through.

Standing straight and righting his chair, he turned to look the oni up and down. His entire body was soaked thoroughly and he was shaking slightly. A bit rumpled (most likely from the run) his uniform stood out oddly against his forested skin.

All-in-all, there was nothing ordinary about this oni. But, Koenma noted with a frown, there was something wrong about him. Something…that he couldn't place, but had a feeling was obvious.

Sighing, he began to sit back down, waving his hand at the saluting oni to continue.

"Sir, I've come to inform you that an unidentified demon is attacking the Reikai Palace!"

This time Koenma caught himself before he fell out of the chair, but the rolling object didn't have such luck and crashed for a second time to the floor. The junior god, however, was unaware, as he had bolted up out of the seat.

"What demon?" he shouted out, loosing his calm but not to anger. He did not wait for an answer as he pressed the intercom button on his desk. When an oni answered, he immediately summoned Botan. "And tell her to wake up the tentai NOW! Syunsuke is attacking the palace!"

The oni in front of him was still standing stalk still, saluting, and Koenma spared him a brief, confused glance before he rushed out of his office.

Something was not right.

-o-o-o-

Hiei bolted up when the door was suddenly thrown open, a resounding slam echoing through the small room as the wood rebounded off the wall. Botan stood in the doorway, her oar in hand and a worried look of urgency on her face.

"Hiei, hurry, get up!" she all but shouted out as the fire demon was ready to send her to the Makai on a flurry of swear words and cusses. He stopped the mental train of insults, however, at the sound of her voice.

Something was obviously wrong.

Kurama, who was sitting on the bed looking at Botan through worried eyes (and Hiei noted that he was once more by the window and had obviously not gotten any sleep,) glanced at the fire demon. It was one of questionable worry and uncertainty.

"What is it?" Hiei asked gruffly as he pulled on his boots and strapped on his katana, all in the time it took the ferry girl to answer his question. With her reply, however, he froze.

"Syunsuke is attacking the palace!" Hiei all but bolted for the door, a hand already on the hilt of his sword.

Without glancing over his shoulder and with Botan already leading the way, he called out to Kurama, "Stay in that room, fox! And," he finally turned around, pausing only long enough to make eye contact with the young fox. His red eyes showed concern and sincerity for those few seconds, "do not let anyone else into this room unless you know them."

With that, he was gone and the door was tightly shut and locked. Kurama blinked after him, wondering (but already knowing) what could possibly be wrong.

-o-o-o-

"-to this room unless you know them."

Ocean blue eyes narrowed as they watched the dark figure and the blue-haired ferry girl moved down the hallway, disappearing at the other end to go and rouse the other tentai.

He had precious little time.

Moving quietly, he walked over to the door that the two had just walked out of. Pressing his ear gently to the door, he could hear the soft rustle of sheets on a bed and a small sigh.

Now…how to deal with the firebrat's warning?

Slowly raising a pale, long-fingered hand, he rapped gently on the wood of the door. There were several seconds of silence, broken only by the soft movement of sheets accompanied by near silent footfalls, before the door was cracked open.

He could easily see that a foot was bracing the other side, keeping anyone from trying to push in suddenly. A piercing green eye suddenly filled the small, inch wide crack between door and frame. Blocked partially by crimson colored hair, the eye narrowed slightly at the blue-robed man.

"Can I help you?" The voice was soft like velvet but held less years than he remembered. The demon before the door smiled: Kurama was but a child in mind now. He put on a friendly face, one presentable to a child, and placed a gently hand on the door, fingers curling around the edge.

"You are Kurama…aren't you?" his voice was soft and kind, the question filled with a sudden uncertainty even as he hitched his breath to make it appear as if he had been running recently. The eye behind the door lost a tiny bit of doubt at his kindness.

"Yes…" Though the beautiful green depths had lost their suspicion, the voice still held plenty of hesitation. The demon, however, gave no time for further thought.

"Oh, thank god!" he all but cried out in a voice filled with relief. "I was so worried I wouldn't find you! I'm a healer, Master Kurama, please let me in!"

The door did not budge, but the eye before him seemed confused and no longer suspicious of the man before him, though the demon knew that wasn't true. The fox before him was plenty mistrustful about him, and he had to keep that distrust back if he was going to pull this off.

He would soon be out of time.

"I-I'm not supposed to let anyone in…" Ah! There it was; the childish uncertainty that he knew would get him his prize. If he could just pull that out a little more.

"Please." He put just a fraction more weight into his hand pressing against the door. It began to move in increments so small that it wasn't visible to the fox holding it closed. "Master Hiei sent me. He said you might be hurt."

Shit, that was the wrong thing to say. The force holding him out of the room strengthened and that green eye, its beauty limitless, once more turned suspicious.

"I'm not hurt." The voice was no longer childish or lost in doubt. It was firm in its resolution and solid in keeping him out of the room.

Taking a deep, calming breath, he smiled as softly as he could, his eyes growing gentle and sweet. He pulled back on some of the pressure he was applying to the door.

"Please, Master Kurama," he whispered in a pleading voice. "I'm a healer. Master Hiei sent me to check on you and…to protect you. He said you could be…well…I'm not supposed to tell you…"

That eye widened slightly at the thought of the fire demon keeping something from him. The door cracked open to show the fox's entire face, open freely to childish worry.

He held back a very evil smile; he had found this young Kurama's weak spot in his defense.

"Tell me what?" the voice was back to its doubtful self. So…the fox did care greatly for the fire demon, and the opinion he held the kitsune in, apparently.

The demon's smile widened but he did not reapply his weight to the door. "He said you might be in danger…but don't tell him I let you know!"

Kurama frowned slightly, but no longer at the stranger before him. He was glancing at the ground near his guest's feet, a hand raised to rub his chin in uncertainty.

"W-well…I mean…if Hiei sent you…?" The last bit was a question for reassurance and the demon smiled happily at the (mis)understanding that showed in Kurama's eyes. The fox seemed to relax and he let the pale hand push the door open the rest of the way.

"Yes, yes, there's no need to worry…" the voice turned sultry as the figure walked through the door, hands clasped behind his back as Kurama motioned for him to enter his room. "…I won't hurt you."

The door closed slowly behind him.

-o-o-o-

_Chapter 8_

End

-o-o-o-

…whelp, that was fun.

**Author's Notes:**

_...The fire demon…sleeping soundly after using so much energy on Syunsuke… _Hiei didn't use his dragon, if you'll remember, but he used a lot of his energy and sleeping after you use so much is a good idea no matter your race or power.

…"_I wonder …do you know?"…_ Kurama is obviously wondering if his adult self has told Hiei that he loves him.

I do not believe in love at first sight. I think you have to get to know a person before you can love them, and everything they are. I think love at first sight is love of looks and nothing more.

And so, in explaining this, I see it very simply. Kurama loved Hiei (at the age of 10) in the manner which a child loves without knowing the one he loves to full extent: with innocence and never truly knowing what they're feeling. They love for the sake of being loved, and do not yet understand the complexity of the emotion.

Being a youko previously, I think Kurama may have immediately liked the fire demon for his looks, ill past, and tough attitude. But it wasn't love. Kurama liked him the way a child likes a playmate. They desire company and understanding that adults can't always have and love each other for that.

And so, half of Kurama in the above scene is acting out of childish love, and the other half is coming from the "emotions and things he shouldn't know but does" that comes as a side effect (see previous chapters)

…_this oni…there was something wrong about him… _Remember this in the next chapter, please, it has to do with …_He (Syunsuke) had precious little time…_

…_The entire last bit…_ I didn't mention Syunsuke's name as the demon who was at Kurama's door because Kurama did not know who it was. Rather odd, but I just…didn't feel like saying it was him. A bit odd, yes, I know, but…MY STORY!

**End Author Notes**

Please review. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Have a Happy New Year!


	9. Memories Forbidden pt II

**Disclaimer**: Gumballs gumballs gumballs! -ahem- Please send donations of twenty-five cents each to the authoress as she has found herself simply incapable of writing without the creative surge given off by gumballs.

**Notes**: Um…none at the moment. We'll see if that changes! Well…actually…if you're reading this…then…er…I guess it didn't…and won't…er…Oh, blah.

Ha, a big thanks to **KyoHana**, the fifth reviewer and **KittyLuv**, who made sure that SOMEONE was going to review before the night was out. Your determination is...funny! Here you go.

-o-o-o-

**_Memories of the Lost_**

_Chapter 9_

Memories Forbidden (Part II)

-o-o-o-

Koenma was half way down the Hall of Judgment, ordering his workers around as fast as he could shoot off commands, summoning the SDF as he did, when he suddenly froze. All movement stopped around him, the soldiers heading towards the large doors halting at the sudden lack of orders flying from his mouth.

"Sir?" the SDF had arrived, their captain at his elbow (fast buggers) Koenma slowly turned to look at him, a most blank look on his face.

That was what was wrong with that oni in his office. He had finally figured it out and, as his instinct had told him, it was quite obvious. Amidst the wet clothes, the slightly ruffled look about him, the single thing had been as obvious as night and day, yet went unnoticed in the rush.

Hedrick had had a fingerprint burned into his forehead.

Koenma's amber eyes opened wide in horror as he immediately drew to conclusions. He spun on his heel and he took off at a dead run back the other way, shouting new orders out over his shoulder as he went.

-o-o-o-

Hiei and Yusuke rounded the corner at a pace fast enough to blur beneath the human eye. Yusuke was in the lead, but just barely and only because he was on the inside of the corner when they turned. And, for that very second, Hiei was glad he was slightly behind the detective as Yusuke ran headlong into Koenma.

The two lovers crashed with a loud, resounding smack and both went flying backwards, each falling to the floor with another thud. Yusuke swore vividly as he rubbed his skull. He should have been (and was within seconds) more worried about Koenma as his own skull was thicker than rock (as proven in the Dark Tournament)

"Are you alright?" he asked as he ran gently fingers on Koenma's forehead, brushing back his beloved's bangs as the junior lord swore just as vividly as the teen had.

Koenma, however, pushed back his forming headache. "Don't worry about me, Kurama's in danger! The guard- Syunsuke attacking the palace- it was a distraction! Syunsuke is _already_ in the palace right now!"

Hiei's red eyes opened wider than Koenma had ever seen them and he was gone with a single loud curse. Yusuke, who's own brown eyes widened right behind the fire demon, helped Koenma up before his lover all but shoved him in the direction Kuwabara had taken, following after Hiei.

"Go!" Koenma shouted out and Yusuke nodded, taking off at a near blur pace after his two teammates. Koenma sagged against the wall, Botan gripping his arm gently as he did. She watched in the direction the tentai had disappeared as her boss rubbed his forehead.

-o-o-o-

Hiei burst through the fox's door. Literally _through_ the door, cracking it into three separate pieces, not including the thousands of splinters that littered the floor. His katana was already unsheathed and gripped in knuckle-white hands as he took in the site before him.

Syunsuke stood before the bed, a long and slender hand pressed against the pale flesh of Kurama's face. The fox was sitting on the bed, having half risen when he realized that the demon before him was certainly not a healer. His eyes were wide but clouded over with a foggy white and his mouth was partially open in a silent scream. Two hands, white knuckled with the struggle, gripped Syunsuke's wrist, attempting to pull the bone-chilling hand away from his skin.

"Let him go, Syunsuke!" Kuwabara was the first to find his voice, stumbling almost head over heels into the room after tripping over the fragments of door. Hiei sidestepped the orange-haired teen, who promptly fell on his face right where the fire demon had been standing, an ample threat indeed. Yusuke charged in over his body, causing more swearing and grumbling to echo around the room.

Syunsuke sneered at them before he grabbed Kurama's wrist and pried it off his own arm. He used it to spin around to the tentai, taking the fox's limp body with him and releasing to send Kurama flying towards them. Yusuke and Hiei both caught the fox, taken to the floor with him in a pile of limps and "oofs"

The fire demon, revenge for the fox winning over concern for the fox, stood immediately back up to face the blue robed demon, but found no one. The room was empty but for Kuwabara climbing to his feet and starting towards the window. Hiei growled and started after the teen.

"He jumped out the window," Kuwabara stated as he stuck his head out the window to look down. Hiei did the same, climbing slightly on the bed. Not worrying about being so close to the idiot, he glanced up at the climbing Reikai walls before looking back down.

Neither saw anything but the rain pouring down around them, already lightening with the demon's sudden disappearance.

"He's gone," Kuwabara whispered in anger and Hiei swore as he pulled his head back inside, turning his attention instead to the fox lying in Yusuke's arms. The teen looked up as Hiei drew near.

"He's out again," the raven-haired detective reported, holding Kurama's upper body against his own. "And Syunsuke took more memory."

-o-o-o-

Bright green eyes blinked open to a pounding headache. Pain filled those eyes as he tried to fight it back, gaining nothing but more pain and he groaned, raising a hand to his temple as he closed his eyes. He was not happy with how heavy his limbs felt and he paused to consider what _exactly_ he had done the night before.

The lashes of pain that arced across the back of his eyes like a whip was certainly not from a hangover, though he had known some pretty wicked ones in his days. And the heaviness of his limbs (all four of them as he was now finding) was not unlike the results after a long fight…but there was no ache to his muscles, nor any pull to his skin as there would be were he wounded at all.

A light frown crossed his delicate features. His awareness was definitely off, also. His hearing seemed dull and distant, as if blocked by cloth. That was unlike anything he'd ever experienced outside of a serious hangover. And so, bracing himself for another lash of pain, he opened his green eyes.

And saw ceiling through slightly fuzzy, blurry eyes. He tried repeatedly to blink away the odd blurriness in his eyes but found that it went nowhere. He could easily see the ceiling (of wherever he was) clearly, but he could no longer perceive it like he used to be able to.

Not only were it his ears that had dulled, but his eyes seemed to have suffered the same fate.

"What the he-" Kurama froze at the sound of his own voice. It was thick and…lighter, filled with a tone heavier than his normally cold voice and it sounded rooted to the ground in a way he could not understand. It was his voice…but several octaves higher and less airy and natural.

It was no longer in tune with the trees but rather with his body.

Kurama bolted up from his lying position, no longer taking heed of whatever was wrong with him, for he feared that whatever was wrong with him was what he feared, and so had no reason to fear doing worse than what was wrong with him.

And that hardly made any sense to _him_.

He looked down at his lap. White sheets pooled around him, a heavy comforter folded at his feet. And…speaking of feet…why did his seem closer to his body? Was he SHORTER!

Kurama went to pull off the covers and stopped once more. His hand…_his hand_ that had went to pull of the sheets…well…well…it wasn't HIS hand!

The fox flexed his fingers, watching the hand through his dimmed vision as it did the same. Green eyes widened. Where were his claws? Where was his beautiful, milky white skin?

He raised the hand closer to his face, staring at it in absolute horror.

"What the hell is going on!" That was not the wisest thing he could have done, as movement to his left caused him to jump from the bed, crouching on it's squishy surface and backing towards the corner, a hand tucked in his hair.

And his hair! He could not take the time to look at it as the movement of several people alerted him to the company in his room, but the silkiness! The soft touch of every strand, the color of liquid silver, was gone. His hair felt rough under his new skin and each strand tangled with the other, so unlike his natural foxy locks that he almost never had to brush to keep untangled.

But his worry over his pride and joy could wait. Before him were seven individuals, all spaced out through a room that was smaller in size than his den, which had been meant to house the complete living quarters of two people comfortably.

A young boy (who he immediately identified as a demon, though he was unsure of the race) was sitting in a chair next to his bed, just raising his head from the covers he had fallen asleep upon. His hair, jet black in the dim light with dark, navy blue tips (though Kurama had a feeling they weren't so dark in normal light) and an odd star-shaped burst in the center (this looked a dim blue, or possibly white) His crimson eyes regarded the fox in worried surprise, though he could see concern in those blood-red depths.

Odd, for a demon who he had never met to show concern over him. It…for a reason he could not explain, as it would normally disgust him…brought him comfort in the darkness where he, at the moment, had no light.

To this demon's left was a raven-haired boy (definitely demon, but he could feel human traces of energy (odd that he could not smell the boy's human scent)) who could not have yet reached his human prime. This one had been asleep against the bed he was now crouched on. His chocolate brown eyes, still sleepy yet alert, stared at the fox in worry and concern.

Just as the other had…

Standing beside this half-breed, and gently holding his hand (as was noticed with a brief second glance) was a tall, dark haired man. His hair, though it looked dark brown, was most likely a lighter color in the sunlight. Beneath drooping bangs was an odd tattoo of the letters "J" and "r." He held about him, without the look of one who is high-ranked, a superiority that stressed respect and acknowledgement.

The fox briefly wondered if this amber-eyed man was royalty.

By the far wall, two people had laid asleep, leaning against the wall, and were now rising to their feet. One was tall, almost as tall as he was (had been? The world did seem a bit bigger now… Had he really _shrunk_!) and had orange hair that sort of stuck out over his forehead and dropped a few bangs (about a centimeter, the fox noticed with amusement.) His beady eyes were regarding the fox in surprise.

Beside him was a shorter (much shorter!) teal haired girl (once more immediately recognized as a demon, this one obviously a Koorime (interesting; they _never_ leave their island. What the hell was she doing here?)) Her stature reminded him greatly of the first boy he had seen, as did her crimson eyes. Perhaps they were of relation. That might help if he needed a hostage or leverage to escape, should they prove hostile towards him (though, by their concerned looks (which _were_ creeping him out) he might not need that information.) She was smiling softly, though it seemed almost sad with concern (great, another one.)

Against the other wall (and standing beside his only means of escape, should he need it) were the last two. The first was an old hag that didn't come up to his waist. Her faded, light hair appeared pink and she stared through amazingly wise, brown eyes.

Beside her was a young girl who couldn't be out of her ningen teen years, but her dress belied her age. Her light pink kimono (which oddly found a way of matching with her _bright_ blue hair) was one of olden days and, through knowledge he had possessed for years, he knew it was the garb of a ferry girl. And despite the short, teal-haired girl who was also wearing a kimono, hers was different in a manner that only one knowledgeable of the change would notice. It was just in the way she wore it. But, beside the dress, and the occupation, and the comparison (and the this, and the that…Che) it was her eyes that caught his attention. They were _bright_ fucking_ pink_! Who the hell has pink eyes?

But, in his present condition, that really wasn't what he needed to be focusing on. He slowly pulled his hand out of his hair (oh Inari, what had happened to his hair?) with a blood red rose having sparked life spontaneously as he drew away from the last strands of crimson.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked, still in his crouch against the bed, near to touching the corner wall. He held the rose out to the side, prepared to strike down anyone who drew near.

It was the short, black haired, unidentified demon that stepped forward.

-o-o-o-

Hiei had woken from the shout and immediately cursed himself. How could he have fallen asleep with Kurama out like that, and likely to wake without knowing where he was (or possibly who he was, as he feared was happening now.)

Kurama had moved into a low crouch, his body small and almost constricted to refrain the amount of weak points open to enemies. He was pressed closer to the walls in order to maintain a two-point vantage, and not have to worry about attacks from behind. He was, however, backing himself into a corner and Hiei could he see his discomfort at such a thought.

The fox was scrutinizing each in the room slowly, yet rapidly for what he would prefer. Hiei felt shivers go down his back as those cold, green eyes turned on him. He had only seen such hard eyes during rare battles and _never_ directed at himself. It sent a wave of apprehension through his body and he found himself wishing for those beautiful green eyes to once more be merry and kind.

He found himself immediately disliking the new Kurama before him.

"Who the hell are you?" The voice was cold and harsh, demanding without any leave for who he was demanding. Hiei didn't like it. He just didn't like it. He thought that the usage of that voice, normally so soft-spoken and kind, was not for such coldness.

It once more sent shivers down his spine and he soon found himself very much longing for the old Kurama.

But, as no one else seemed about to step forward, and since he wasn't sure anyone but Koenma and Genkai had figured out who was talking to them (respectively speaking in time, as it was obviously Kurama who was talking,) he stepped forward.

Those eyes were once more on him and he fought to keep his own gaze locked on the green orbs; orbs that he knew the owner thought were gold.

He took two steps forward before the small, almost unnoticeable twitch of a rose stopped him and he stood, on the very edge of the head of the bed, with his hands loosely at his sides, but held to show that he would not draw the sword he had at his waist.

Kurama's narrowed eyes prompted him to speak quickly and answer the fox's question before he should find himself dodging the sharp end of a whip. Slowly opening his mouth, he looked deep into those green eyes.

"My name is Hiei. And you…you are Youko Kurama, right?"

-o-o-o-

_Chapter 9_

End

-o-o-o-

Okay, again my apologies for a shorter chapter than normal. These two are short (more for suspense…bum bum bum!) but the rest should be back to normal length.

Also, I'm sorry that there wasn't too much action in this chapter, I still hope it was good enough for your standards.

Hope you enjoyed!

Please Review.


	10. Memories Rekindled

**Disclaimer**: GUMBALL! (again)

**Review Replies: **

**Stuck-in-a-tree** wrote (and if the name wasn't great already) and I quote, "the horror"

Dude, I LOVE long reviews, but that...that was just mastery. I loved it, you had me laughing for an entire four minutes. Yes, four minutes. That's rather sad over two words but...well, I'm the kind of person who finds amusement in the little things.

Thanks for the laugh and the review.

-o-o-o-

**_Memories of the Lost _**

_Chapter 10_

Memories Rekindled

-o-o-o-

Yusuke gave a worried glance back towards the temple before he returned to Kuwabara, who was saying some gushy, lovey-dovey something-or-another about his sweet Yukina.

The raven-haired detective turned his head to give another worried glance.

Turning back, eyes preoccupied with the emotion, he noticed that Kuwabara had stopped talking and was now staring expectantly at the young man.

"Hm?" Yusuke jerked back to reality upon noticing this. "Sorry, Kuwabara. What'd you say?"

The orange-haired teen gave a sigh as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm worried about him too," the teen said softly, "but what more can we do? He obviously doesn't want to talk to us."

Yusuke gave an apologetic look to Kuwabara, his friend having realized immediately and without any doubt, what he was so worked up about. "I know but...He hasn't left that room since we got back two days ago! I just can't help but worry..."

Both boys' eyes focused back on the temple yet again.

-o-o-o-

Youko curled closer in on himself, knees tucked up to his chest. He sat in the corner of the futon once more, pressed against the two walls of his room. The furthest point from the door, one might casually notice.

A light, but large and somewhat puffy (in lack of a better word to describe) comforter was gripped in human fingers, pink and awkwardly chubby to the fox that possessed them. Dark red hair, spread over a face laid against raised knees, was shining in the slivers of morning light, casting golden streaks into the otherwise dim room.

Green eyes modeled after the colors of the most exotic jungle plants and shaped with an emerald's cast but a diamond's care, were opened to partial slits. A watery surface caused shimmering pools to form beneath thick, long eyelashes.

Yet no tear fell, though threatened.

A hard rapping knock on the door brought the fox's deep green eyes focused back from the spacey delusions of memories that he had dwelt on. He blinked lazily, picking up his head as Hiei stepped into the room, red eyes staring at him emotionlessly.

"Go away," Youko whispered, laying his head back down on his knees, arms wrapped once more around his legs.

Hiei scowled. "You can't just sit here all day, Youko."

The kitsune did not reply and the fire demon's scowl grew deeper in effect. His eyes flashed with anger that had not often been aimed at the redhead. He moved over in a blur to stand in front of the forlorn kitsune.

"Get up."

Youko looked up to him with an emotionally angry gaze, a stare that almost matched the fire demon's in ability and control. "Go away, demon." His voice was aggravated but dulled by thick pain and sorrow that refused to fade.

"Get out of that damn bed, youko," Hiei demanded in a growl, his tone losing its patience. "If you ever want to return to your normal self, get the hell up!"

"To normal?" Youko repeated in an empty, shocked tone before he narrowed his eyes, brow furling in anger. "You call being human _normal_!" he shrieked, raising to balance on his knees. "Why would I ever wish for that!"

A yelp ran through the room as Youko Kurama suddenly found himself yanked from the corner by the collar of his loose tunic.

"Shut up!" Hiei screamed out, his small and childlike hands fisted in Youko's human clothing. "Kurama is a better person than you could ever be! So get out of this damn room and get over your grief!"

Youko's emerald eyes widened as he stared at the demon in surprise. A second passed before he blinked, still in shock, but gently took hold of Hiei's wrist. With this signal, Hiei released him and the kitsune climbed off the bed without a word and headed for the door.

By the time he got there Yusuke and Kuwabara, who had responded to Hiei's yelling, had already slammed it open, nearly forcing it off its track. Youko walked straight past them, not pushing by but avoiding their gaze with his emerald one, focused on the floor just beyond their feet.

"Hiei?" Yusuke asked in confusion as the fire demon strode after. Hiei just gave his usual one-syllable response, voice more annoyed than normal. He was almost out the door when Kuwabara grabbed his elbow, halting him.

He turned with a low growl, daring the oaf to continue his hold, but the orange-haired teen did not release him. "Hiei, what did you do to Kurama?"

"_That_," he spat out, gesturing with his gaze in the direction that the fox-turned-human had disappeared down. The sound of light conversation floated down the hall between Genkai and the kitsune. "_That_ is not Kurama."

"Hiei..." Red eyes turned to burn their angered glare through the raven-haired detective. His patience had died over the last two days. "I know it's frustrating. He doesn't want to go back to the way we know him, but he's in serious mourning right no-"

"Kitsune don't love, Yusuke," Hiei bit out angrily, pulling his arm from Kuwabara's surprised grip. "They take what they want from their bed partners and then rid themselves of them. This '_Kuronue_' is nothing different and no excuse to cry over for two days, wasting _our _precious time!"

Both boys' eyes had widened significantly with Hiei's raged claim, and Kuwabara lowered his hand, not even thinking through the numb surprise, to try and grab the fire demon once more.

"Hiei," Yusuke started, trying to keep his tone reasonable, but knowing that he wouldn't get through to the youkai. "Youko _loved_ Kuronue. Even Koenma admits to it. They were soul mates, you were there when Koenma explained why Kurama is mourning!"

"He. Is. A. Demon!" Hiei's voice was as sharp as the edge of the sword he carried at his hip. "Demon's don't fall for pathetic human emotions, Yusuke. You would know, if you'd listen to that little voice in your head telling you how ridiculous they are."

With that, the fire demon turned and fled in a blur of black and a slight whoosh of displaced air. Kuwabara sighed, closing his eyes and tilting his head back in exasperation, rubbing the back of his neck.

"This is going to be a long week, isn't it?" he asked and Yusuke gave a somewhat shaky smile.

"Nah, it'll be okay," Yusuke said but his eyes had darted to the ground and Kuwabara noticed easily. He dropped his arm to lightly land on his best friend's shoulder.

"What's wrong, man?" Kuwabara's voice was comforting and Yusuke's glanced up, noticing once more what he had earlier missed.

Kuwabara had grown in strength through this. As soon as he realized that it wasn't just him Kurama didn't remember, as soon as things had gone from bad to worse, he had held the others together better than any glue could have.

He had, essentially, picked up Kurama's ability when the fox couldn't handle it, and Yusuke had been somewhat astonished to finally notice that Kuwabara had done it all along.

Even when the detective had acknowledged his best friend's ability to pull everyone back from the edge, he still hadn't noticed how badly the team needed Kuwabara, especially without Kurama.

Both of them acted as the glue that held everyone, not just the four tentai, but _everyone_ together when they needed it most. And while slightly weakened, Kuwabara had picked up almost every inch of what had become slack when Kurama was taken from their support.

Yusuke glanced up at him, already feeling the comfort being sent in waves through the simple, friend-to-friend look that Kuwabara offered to him. "Sorry, man..."

"It's alright," Kuwabara replied. "But we have to hold together. It's hard, especially with Hiei's sudden short fuse, but we've all got to hang together and get Kurama through this."

Yusuke nodded, though his look of annoyed sorrow returned. "I was just thinking...with Kurama mourning like this...We might not have to worry about him confessing to Hiei anytime soon."

Kuwabara frowned slightly but, after he gave it a moment's thought, he had to agree. It wasn't likely that Youko would be able to so quickly get rid of the pain the loss of his lover and closest friend had caused him.

"Well, at least that's one less thing we have to deal with for now," Kuwabara replied helpfully, giving Yusuke a mock shove. That got a small smile on the teen's face.

Five minutes later they were both grinning ear to ear in an all out fistfight in the middle of Genkai's temple.

-o-o-o-

Youko glanced towards the hallway as the sounds of fighting erupted, but he didn't pay it much heed as the small, teal-haired girl identified as Yukina set a small bowl of soup before him.

He stared at it for several moments, blinking emotionless, crystal green eyes before he glanced back up at her with the same blank stare. She seemed lost at what to do, giving Genkai a small, pleading look when her soft smile didn't seem to win the Youko's trust.

"You could try saying, 'thank you,'" Genkai reprimanded as she stared at him from across the counter. Those jade eyes turned to her in slightly surprise, followed by a touch of the coldness once rumored to be there.

Yukina waved her hands in a feeble attempt to stop Genkai. "N-no, that really isn't necessary, Genkai-s-sensei!"

"Thank you."

Surprised red eyes turned to Youko Kurama, who was staring at her with an unblinking jungle green stare. That voice, while not weak, had had a broken sound to it that only an innocent creature such as Yukina could really hear for what it was.

It was a heart crying with pain and sick with exhaustion of dealing with life.

A light tint brushed her cheeks as she folded her hands in front of her lap and bowed to him. Youko stared throughout this movement before he bowed his head ever so slightly in a return gesture.

When this little formality had passed, green eyes found themselves once more staring down at a bowl of an oddly tinted, slightly cloudy liquid with small, pale yellow and unmoving fat worms within it.

Knowledge of humans was enough to tell Youko that they weren't worms, but a form of grain transferred into something the ningens called a "noodle." He stared at it with emotionless eyes, though his face was slightly tinted with disgust. "This is human food."

Genkai raised an eyebrow at him as Yukina bustled around quietly behind her, cleaning up the dishes used in making the small meal. The old master gave Youko a steady stare, emerald eyes rising to meet it. "Yes, it's human food for a human body. And you have one, whether you are willing to accept it or not."

Yukina's eyes widened slightly, fearing an actual fight might break out. She, too, had heard small legends of the kitsune that sat before her now, and none of them ever spoke of forgiveness for the tongue.

But the response that permeated the silence wasn't one of anger, but more of a final acknowledgment of despair and hopelessness. It almost broke Yukina's heart just to hear the tones float through the air from that cold, beautiful creature sitting before them.

"Yes...I suppose I do."

-o-o-o-

Youko stared at the fire demon that parried back and forth with himself, sword out and held between two tightly clenched hands. A light layer of sweat had slowly coated the smooth, tan skin of the youkai.

Muscles well toned stood out in sharp contrast with his smaller, almost child-sized body. His headband was slowly soaking through with the proof of his workout, but he never stopped or faltered in his step.

Crystal emeralds took this in with an emotionless gaze that followed each of Hiei's sharp, blur-worthy movements across the temple grounds. The kitsune knew that Hiei was aware of him, and knew he was watching.

But then again, Youko didn't care that the fire demon knew.

An expression as blank as his eyes was used to face all of Hiei's ignoring glances his way. Youko knew that the fire demon before him was uncomfortable with him there.

It was obvious that Hiei did not care for the kitsune very much.

A softly cleared throat beside him drew green eyes that longed for gold towards a certain raven-haired teen, staring quietly at him.

"Yes, Yusuke?" Youko asked as he turned his gaze back to Hiei. The movement and the fact that it had been ongoing for the last hour and seventeen minutes greatly worried the detective.

Yusuke was pretty sure that Youko's mourning would leave him completely turned off to the idea of focusing on emotions stirred by Hiei's presence.

He was beginning to doubt that inference.

"Youko...Um, I was just thinking that maybe we should head back inside," the teen started, trying to think of a plausible cause to drag Youko away from Hiei.

Most unfortunately, it didn't even pull the kitsune's gaze away, and Youko was no idiot. "Why?"

"Well," Yusuke drew out his response, his eyes tracing Kurama's gaze to watch Hiei duel. An occasional red glance would light upon the two before vanishing once more as Hiei convinced himself not to look again.

"It's just that you haven't eaten much in the last few days. You should probably try to get some more into your stomach." It wasn't a complete lie: Youko hadn't been able to keep much down over the last day and a half since he had finally emerged from that room.

And where as, before when we had locked himself up for those two days, crying silently to himself until he fell into restless, nightmare filled sleep, now he didn't sleep at all.

"You don't want me near the fire demon." A green stare turned on him and held a coldness that, for the first time in three and a half days, finally broke the emotionless barrier.

Yusuke's eyes widened slightly, though not necessarily in surprise. He glanced back to Hiei before looking slowly, almost wisely into Kurama's eyes. "No, I don't like you near Hiei, Youko."

That green glare penetrated his very being as the moments of the stare dragged out until Youko finally turned back to look at the fire demon training. Muscles contracted with every swing and the fine tuned body glistened in the afternoon sun.

"You don't understand it, do you?" Yusuke hadn't taken his gaze off of Youko, and only turned it quizzical at the new puzzling riddle that the fox had spoken.

Moments of silence stretched before that green stare left Hiei for the last time, locking with Yusuke's and staying there. "Kitsune are a race of playful and pleasure seeking demons. We hardly settle down in our lifetimes and if we do...that mate is for life. We will never love another."

Yusuke refused to take his gaze off of the kitsune and one of his best friends. "You and Kuronue were mates, weren't you?"

That fixation didn't change and the coldness, though still present, did ebb away with the mention of his lover's name. A small amount of sadness filled the empty pool left behind in those eyes.

"Yes...Kuronue and I were mated." Those green eyes fought to look away, but Youko kept them locked on the young man beside him. This raven-haired detective, this _boy _seemed so intent on protecting him.

It was almost like feeling loved again.

"Yes," Youko repeated as he finally drew his gaze away, but not back to the fire demon, who was trying and failing to hear what they were talking about. The jungle-green stare turned, instead, to the crystal blue sky, white and fluffy clouds making their way peacefully by. "And I will never love again."

Yusuke followed his eyes once more, but only briefly before he looked back at Youko's face, serene and almost peaceful in his sorrow. When he spoke, his voice was full of a conviction that no one could fight against without seriously thinking twice about their argument.

"I don't believe that."

Surprised eyes looked back to his as Kurama slid his hands in the pockets of his white, ningen slacks. "And why is that, Yusuke?"

"You wouldn't have found another way of living if you didn't think you'd love again," he spoke softly, but solidly. Green eyes frowned, but more in curiosity and surprised admiration than in anger. "You wouldn't have saved that babies life and been born a human."

"Only Inari-sama knows what went through my head then," Youko replied with a hint of disgust as the topic once more reverted to his now-human blood. Yusuke gave a short snort of anger at his reply.

"You were thinking that you didn't want to die," he replied almost demandingly, ordering the kitsune before him to believe it. "It was impulsive, I'm sure. Your single thought was that you weren't done living. You weren't ready to give it all up. You _wanted_ to remember what it felt like to be loved."

Jade eyes the color of the deepest jungles stared at him, wide with surprise and recognition. They were filled with a surprise at the maturity of the man before him, as well as the ability to delve into the kitsune's heart, to delve into depths he himself had not yet conquered.

A silence swept through the temple, broken only by the sounds of Hiei's sword chops, now retreated towards the stairs, and the soft twittering of birds in the trees. Even the sword swipes ceased as the silent murmur of their conversation drew to an end.

Piercing red eyes stared at the two from across the temple, trying to discern why they were staring at one another, Yusuke in content demand, and Youko in surprise. He frowned and was about to move over when a smile graced Kurama's lips.

It shocked the hell out of Hiei, enough for the sword in his hand to slip to the ground with a soft thud. With widened eyes, he bent over, picked it up, and resumed his training lest anyone notice his slip.

But that smile had been one he hadn't seen on the fox in four years. That smile was one that he had only seen once in his lifetime of knowing Kurama, and one he had known, deep down, that he longed to see again.

It was a pure smile; not faked, not filled with any other emotion. There was no happiness in it, no sadness, nothing but a smile.

And it was Kurama's alone.

Green eyes that should have had a golden tint glinted in mischievous merriment and turned back to stare at Hiei. His thin lips pursed together in that smile, and it only widened when he noticed that the detective next to him had just lost his breath.

"You're not so bad, Yusuke," he said as he continued to watch the fire demon train. "And you may be right...I might have just figured out why I chose to live as a human."

The detective, who was recovering from the shock of that smile, never having seen Kurama with such a pure emotion on his face, smirked, completely missing what was most dire to his situation. "Glad to hear it."

A long silence filled the temple, but this was one of a contentment for nature's stillness and completely induced by the two men. That was, of course, before Yusuke turned back to the fox beside him, whose smile had slowly decreased back to his emotionless mask.

"But I still need you to come inside," Yusuke finally broke the quiet peace, his hands tucked behind his back as he watched Kurama watch Hiei, both a pang of regret for the two lost souls but also a pang of fear at what might happen if Youko were to figure out what it was he was feeling.

"You don't want me near him...He does not like me." The statement was one of absolute ironic pain, considering the situation of things, and Yusuke resisted the urge to hide his stare from that of Kurama's.

"Hiei cares deeply for the Kurama we know," Yusuke replied without answering Youko's question. He didn't want to have to answer that question, and wasn't actually sure he could.

"He wants him back." Yet again, this statement was emotionless but Yusuke thought he could sense something hidden within the folds of those words. But whatever it was, pain or anger or happiness, he could not decipher it.

"Yes..." The reply was reluctant and he could no longer keep his chocolate brown eyes locked on Kurama, so he switched them to the wooden floorboards. "Hiei wants the Kurama he knows back. He is the only one to understand him."

Youko slowly turned away from the fire demon and his sword, and Yusuke and his chocolate brown eyes. He stared at the temple's door, five feet away, before he slowly made his way towards it, leaving the detective with one final thought.

"You mean...he is the only one to love him."

-o-o-o-

_Chapter 10_

End

-o-o-o-

And this is where Yusuke says "oh shit" because yes, Youko has figured it out. That was fun! Wrote it all in a night, and was quite enjoyed by it!

I love doing psychoanalysis on fictional characters! Why do they do the things they do! Too much fun, too much fun.

**Author's Notes**:

Have you noticed that I completely avoid the actual conversations of Kurama learning about his memory? Yeah, I do that on purpose...-sheepish smile- because I can never quite write what I think would happen, and I always end up throwing away what I've written when I try.

One of the minor reasons this story is slow to update.

_...Hiei's ignoring glances..._ This means that Hiei was trying to ignore Youko's stare, but kept glancing, while trying to ignore. Rather unsuccessfully, I'd say.

_...green eyes that longed for gold..._ Fun way to say that his green eyes should have been gold, since all he remembers is Youko now.

_...Yes...Kuronue and I were mated..._ Come on, people, I'm sure you can see where this is going. p

_...red eyes stared at the two...trying to discern why they were staring at one another..._ Can someone say Jealous?

**End Author's Notes**

Hope you guys enjoyed. Please be so kind as to drop a review on your way out.


	11. Memories Rekindled pt II

**Disclaimer**: Has anyone ever actually thought about why we have to disclaim each and every chapter? Well, the truth of the matter is that we don't; we just have to disclaim the STORY overall. You can do that once, in the first chapter, and you don't ever have to disclaim it again.

But people do what everyone does and everyone posts a disclaimer each chapter for this real reason; I finally figured it out!

You see, the real reason…-whispers- they want to delude us in our own self pitying illusions of broke-ness!

Mwahahaha! I know their secret now! They can't hide the truth from me!

Well…Okay…I still don't know who "they" are but….but I'm working on it! They can't hide most of the truth from me!

**Notes**: That is the longest disclaimer in history.

-o-o-o-

**Memories of the Lost**

_Chapter 11_

Memories Rekindled (pt II)

-o-o-o-

Hiei could not stand it anymore. The raging fury that was constantly among his every thought was soon to drive him mad. However, not so much as the madness incurred by the sight of Youko, the insanity brought about by the undying curiosity that seemed born within him anew every time the redhead managed to pass by his line of sight.

But he couldn't stand the thought of Kurama any more. Once his best friend, the fox now was nothing more than the conniving youko of legend; a cold-hearted thief that often stole as many virginities as gold coins and jade statues.

The fox wasn't the ally he knew, the companion he always had at his side, or the friend that he (reluctantly, as he would always admit) trusted. In fact, if he truly thought about it, the fire demon realized that he had not left Kurama unattended for very long over the years that he knew him.

Always, the hiyoukai had been there to watch over Kurama. The truth was he didn't trust the fox on his own; he was always somehow paranoid that Kurama would get himself into a situation that he couldn't handle: a situation that he could have as a youko, but not as a human.

And as much as he hated it, and as often as he told the fox that his humanity was a disgraceful weakness, Hiei had become accustomed to watching his companion's back with an intensity that did not match companionship.

But, of course, the fire demon refused to accept this possible conclusion. He was a companion of the fox, a friend to the fox, and an ally for the fox. He wasn't anything else and he never would be.

To even think that he was or could be at one time in his life was pure stupidity, something only worthy of the Detective or Fool.

And perhaps that was why he had followed the kitsune into the forest that night.

Perhaps it was to solve this once and for all; to clarify that he didn't care about him anymore and wouldn't until he was once more the fox that he knew; the Kurama he had attacked that strange day nine years ago.

Or maybe he was only continuing on in circles: he followed the fox out of habit, because the forest was dangerous. But he only cared for the fox's health out of habit for his old friend, and now that his old friend was no longer himself, he was only following out of habit, a habit that would be cleared up that night…only to prove that once more he was following the fox out of care.

Which, as he had previously stated was an inconceivable thought that was only brought on by the stupidity rubbing off of the Fool and the Detective.

The fire demon groaned in annoyance as he grabbed his head in both hands; he had been giving himself far too many headaches as of late.

Ignoring the pounding pain in his head, he glanced back down through the foliage at Kurama. The fox had found himself a rather secluded little area within the forest. He sat against small, smooth pebbles trailing down to gently lapping waters. The small pond was created by the waterfall that gently crashed over the small cliff that the waters gently brushed against. Ripples were constantly bringing small, miniature waves against the smooth rocks beneath the shores.

The fox sat with his clothed feet inches from the lapping waters, propped up by his hands as he stared at the sloshing waterfall, a sliver of a moon peaking through the vegetation atop the cliff. Dark green eyes were watching that glowing silver source of light with the appreciation that only a canine relative can show.

The fire demon had been watching Kurama for over a half hour now, and he could not decide whether he was here to watch or to confront.

It was, once more, a circle that only continued to sweep him back to it's beginning which, in case of a circle, was a nonexistent point with an end nowhere in sight.

Hiei gave a tired sigh as he once more ran his fingers through his hair in attempt to relieve the pain of the pounding.

"That's the thirty second sigh you've made so far, fire demon," Youko's slightly deeper voice suddenly cut through, the human tones still heavy in his normally smooth, icy speech.

Hiei's crimson eyes narrowed and he dropped from the tree, landing in a crouch and standing, pushing his hands into his cloak. With decided slowness, he began making his way across the softly shifting grass and onto the smooth, river-like rocks.

"You know…" Youko began, knowing the fire demon had stopped behind him, standing in perfect silence as he always did, "Yusuke doesn't want me near you...He wouldn't be happy to find you here."

Hiei only gave a customary one-syllable response as his eyes shifted from the flowing waters to the kitsune resting before him. He could just picture the smirk that was undoubtedly on that pale face.

"So…come to spy on me then, fire demon?" Youko asked but, contrary to Hiei's belief, he was not wearing a smirk of any kind, though he made sure to contain the tones of one when he spoke.

In truth, he was staring up at the pale moon in an unforgiving grace which prayed for further understanding of what might be happening within his heart and mind, one which should be doing and thinking of nothing but the mourning of his lost lover.

Kuronue had been his entire life. Although he started as only a thieving partner, an underling in training within his mind, the bat demon had grown to be so much more over the years.

His death should have meant Kurama's death.

Kitsune were a widely misunderstood race, mainly because they made it that way through their own sexual escapades.

Fox demons were not all about the sex, in truth. They were very romantic at heart and were often regarded as the strongest mates when it came to love in the demon world. A common saying within the makai only furthered the belief that kitsune hit the ground the hardest after loosing a mate;

"_To kill a demon, aim for his heart. To kill a fox **claim** his heart."_

For that was the one greatest truth that Youko would admit to (if he would admit no other.) He had loved Kuronue, a bat demon that had claimed his heart…a heart that had died the day his bat demon had.

But his heart was beating again, pounding beneath his chest whenever the fire demon drew within his touch, yet forever remained outside of it. Perhaps Yusuke had been correct: he had wanted to live, he wanted to know what it felt like to be held, whether in a human's arms or a demon's, he had wanted to _feel_ again.

He had wanted to know once more what it was to be loved.

Yes, Yusuke was right. Youko knew in his heart that he would love again, and the Kurama that was supposedly him now knew what it was to love again.

The only question left to answer was…If he had lived to love in order to love living once more…why had he not told Hiei? What was the point of living for love, if he could never express it or have it returned to him as he so longed for and now, apparently, lived for.

It was a tongue twisting circle that he would rather avoid in his mind, or face the consequences, which amounted to a headache.

But the thoughts could no longer be ignored. There were three options that he could foresee;

Accept the inevitable: this new body and mind loved Hiei but could never tell him. (a.k.a. apparent situation already)

Screw acceptance and tell the bastard anyways, no matter his response. (a.k.a. the situation soon to be)

Learn to live without loving (a.k.a. his current situation as Youko)

From the notes his mind had already taken of the situations, it was clear what

choice was to be made. He knew that what he was going to get in response was not going to be acceptance, not pleasantries, not love.

It was what Yusuke had feared, and it was something he already knew was going to happen.

It was inevitable: once a love is realized it should not, no: can not, be left unspoken.

The choice was clear: if Kurama that lived in this day had not the strength to tell him, then there had no point in turning human. If admittance was not acted upon, then he would never love, and since love seemed to be the only reason he would ever choose to live as a ningen, his choice had been a waste of energy and honor.

And that was purely unacceptable.

"Hiei," The youko began, his tone was soft and almost gentle, but something within the unconfident security with which he spoke told Hiei that he had come to some sort of a conclusion; though what for the fire demon had no idea.

"What, Youko?" he answered, his voice remaining cold and indifferent to the fox's softness and apparent kindness.

"What am I to you?" he asked quietly as his eyes lowered to stare at the lapping crystal waters that brushed against his toes, the spray of the falls shadowing his body in a gently mist. He kept his head held high, however, maintaining his prideful stance as his eyes lidded down.

"What?" Hiei asked, genuinely confused by the sudden inquiry. "You're a youko. What are you to anyone else, you idiot?"

The fox gave a tired sigh which he soon followed with a lazy smirk that danced across his lips. His first thoughts had been correct; this would end ugly. But he thought could take it; it wouldn't be that hard.

After all, he was already in a state of mourning; if there was a time to inflict more pain it was now, when he could no longer feel but for his numbness.

"That is not what I meant," he answered, still speaking in tones of soft understanding. It was an understanding that even he did not quite understand yet, which was just another endless circle of headaches.

Life was one big circle of headaches, wasn't it?

"What am I to you in this world?" he repeated, though this time he continued. "Am I a friend? An enemy? Ally? …Lover?"

Hiei turned away at the slight hesitation of the last suggestion. Something of a slight twinge within him somewhere initiated the stupidity once more inflicted by spending time with those two imbecilic detectives.

That was it, he'd had enough: He was going to sue Koenma for the damage to his brain, psyche, and personal attitude.

Those red eyes glared angrily at the forest that bordered this small, secluded beach area. His voice was cold, but he was angry with himself more than anything. Angry that he couldn't figure out why he hated the man before him so; angry that he couldn't figure out why he cared for the man before him so; and especially angry that he couldn't keep the uncertainty out of his voice as he replied, "…Ally."

The youko gave a soft, almost ridiculing snort as he muttered under his breath, "Well that's one sided."

Hiei blinked in surprise, narrowed eyes turning back to his companion. Had he heard him correctly? Was he taking the wrong meaning of it? Had he even heard it at all, or was it just his imagination? With narrowed eye still locked on the redhead, he spoke in a colder tone, one of more confidence. "What?"

"Nothing," the kitsune replied in a tired voice. With the shake of his head and the sigh of his breath, he continued his questioning, though Hiei did not quite see the point of this apparent interview. "Do I have a lover, then?"

Hiei found this question an odd one, and he found himself able to reply without hesitation or uncertainty this time. "No."

Even the answer seemed so very cold to his own ears, which were used to hearing nothing but pure hate for the world around him.

"Fire demon…Hiei…I wish to tell you something," Youko was nearly whispering now, his voice a mix of everlasting strength that was riddled with the cracks of knowledgeable despair.

"What is it?" the fire demon asked in annoyance, not particularly caring what the youko had to say but completely unable to stop himself from listening with the greatest intent.

"This body of mine…this human life that I have taken for myself," he began, his voice never changing. His eyes were staring once more at the moon and he longed to take out a hand and catch it within his milky white palm.

Perhaps he had been wrong; maybe there was more pain to know than he had previously thought.

"What of it?" Hiei asked once more, his voice remaining cold to his once close companion.

Youko stood from the rocks, casually dusting himself off without a true second thought. Hiei didn't miss it and appointed it as the vain thoughts of a youko. The fox didn't seem to notice the disapproving look as he walked over to stand before the fire demon, finally facing him.

Hiei was growing slightly nervous at the sudden lack of space between them, especially with the fox not himself and he…with a pounding headache. He didn't move away, however, his pride not allowing himself to back down.

"There is something within this life that needs to be spoken, but which this new me refused to tell you," he started, his voice even and study despite the riddles that he spoke. As he stood before Hiei, no more than a foot from him, he continued even as the fire demon began to grow nervous underneath that green stare.

"Spit it out already, Youko" the fire demon almost snarled, the proximity of the fox, who had stolen his Kurama away from him, was making him angry and nervous.

"Love."

"Wh-what?" Crimson red eyes widened in shock but not full understanding yet and Hiei attempted to take a step back, but Youko grabbed either of his shoulders, his human fingers digging softly into pale, childish flesh.

"You heard me, fire demon. You will not accept it, but this body, mind and soul loves you. I know now why I chose to live as a human. Because I wanted to _live_, Hiei," Youko's voice was growing oddly desperate and the fire demon suddenly heard the tentative tones of the old Kurama there.

And not just the Kurama that had been lost to Syunsuke. He heard the old fox that he had teamed up with nine years ago; that he had first seen smile. It was something that caused his chest to ache with longing.

He missed that Kurama; he missed him enough to even be able to admit it to himself.

And this…this was too cruel. Why was Youko doing this; wasn't the fire demon under enough pain from the loss of his closest friend? Why now would he taunt Hiei with lies about his best friend.

Had the man before him truly no heart?

"And to love again," Youko was continuing with his desperate voice, fingers growing tighter around Hiei's shoulders, "I wanted to know what it was like to be loved. And I found what it is to love, again, Hiei. This soul and this mind love you…but I know that the second part will never be fulfilled.

"You will never love me. But it isn't fair to keep so much pain inside you, when there is only pain outside as well."

Hiei's eyes were wide and he was trying to pull away from Kurama's grip. This wasn't right; nothing in here was right. Kurama couldn't love him, he wouldn't sacrifice their alliance, their strength for something as stupid as a ningen emotion.

Youko was lying about his closest companion; the only one who ever understood him; cared for him.

This was the youko yet again; the vain emotions of a fox obsessed only with his possessions.

And he hated him.

"Get away from me!" Hiei suddenly screamed, shoving Kurama back. The fox was caught off guard and stumbled back, his footing slipping on the smooth rocks. He winced as his ankle twisted unnaturally and he fell onto the hard, uneven ground beneath him.

The fire demon was furious, practically steaming from the ears. His eyes spoke of imminent pain and death for the lie on the ground before him, dark green eyes wide.

"What would you know?" Hiei screamed, surprised by his own anger at the youko but too angry to care. His fisted hands were shaking by his side as the heat began to radiate off of him in waves. "You're just an over-emotional fox crying for a lost boyfriend!"

Youko's eyes widened as he stared up at the fire demon, who was looming over him, standing between his legs. He winced, his ankle already beginning to pang sharply, the skin swelling.

He thought he could handle the pain of this rejection because he knew that it couldn't be worse than the loss of Kuronue. But he was wrong because he hadn't thought about how the pain would double if his recent loss was brought up so bluntly and disapprovingly.

Inside him he could feel his heart begin to constrict harshly. He knew this feeling; it was the same unbearable pain that came with watching his first true love and only mate die at the cold hands of bamboo stalks.

Suddenly, the silence that had begun to form between the two demons was ended by a hoarse, almost panicked call through the forest. Hiei's eyes suddenly hardened, going from the fury of Youko's confession to sudden surprise at the anger whelming within him and his shaking fists.

The heat disappeared immediately but before Youko could react, Hiei vanished, flickering off with his demonic speed, scared of his own actions.

"Kurama?" the call echoed through the forest again and the fox looked up as Yusuke managed to stumble through the vegetation and onto the soft grass that met with the river rocks. "Kurama!"

The detective was beside his friend within seconds, anxiously examining him for wounds. "What happened? Did Syunsuke attack? You're ankle is swelling, we should get some ice on it right away."

The youko didn't reply, he just allowed the detective to continue his inquiry and draw up his own conclusions. The fox fought as much as he could against the rising pain in his chest, but it was beginning to hurt just with the act of breathing.

As Yusuke helped him back into the forest, away from the waterfall and towards the temple, a single tear rolled down his cheek as a final contraction to his heart broke the last shards that were strung together with the hope of one day living again.

The detective made no comment as he practically felt the fox beside him shatter into hundreds of different pieces, which had just been piecing back together slowly. He turned and glanced back at the clearing and then the forest about them, brown eyes narrowed in suspicion and looking for a black-cloaked fire demon.

-o-o-o-

Yusuke gently knocked on the door before opening it up to the dark room that lay beyond. Shades were drawn over the windows in the room, though the Japanese paper coverings had remained open, slid to the side to allow in the sounds of the forest beyond and the smells of the trees and plants.

Lying on the same bed in which he had awoken so frightfully, Youko was curled in on himself, forming a rather large ball underneath the window. Green eyes lost in thoughts of better days without despair and sorrow stared at the moon beyond the shade, visible only when the wind blew the cover away from the opening.

"Hey," Yusuke began as he entered the room hesitantly, unsure how to handle the situation. It was obvious what most likely happened in the forest tonight, especially with Youko's confession of his knowledge about Hiei earlier that afternoon. The detective cursed himself for leaving the Youko alone long enough to wander off and meet the fire demon alone.

"Look, I know you don't want to talk," he spoke in kind, friendly terms, hoping they would encourage the Youko to open up or at least to feel comforted, "but I just wanted to make sure you didn't need anything."

The fox did not respond in speech or movement; he remained staring at the covered window, occasionally blessed with the silver light of the slivered moon.

As several moments of uninterrupted silence passed, Yusuke accepted the lack of response and gave a nod, fingering his hands nervously. "Okay, well, I'll just be outsi-"

"I miss my tail."

Yusuke blinked as he was interrupted by an almost childish voice. The youko's tone had grown much younger and seemingly so innocent. The sound coupled with the fox's rather pathetic, defeated look gave the detective the thought of a lost kit crying out for its mother.

"Wha-?" was about all he could manage in his sudden confusion of Youko's statement.

"My tail," the fox repeated, still staring out the window, unwavering. "You know, the fluffy thing that wraps around you when you're cold…or lonely…or scared…" His tone had gone from one of attempted humor to the trailed off sorrow of realization, as if it was dawning on him just how deeply he hurt inside. "The thing whose warmth feels like your mother's fur against your own cold skin…"

Yusuke had moved from his spot when the tone first changed, crossing over to the side of the room and sliding open the Japanese style closet. As Youko was finishing his speech, he fished something from the depths of the darkness and moved over to him.

Green eyes widened as a soft blanket was wrapped around his relatively bare form. The fox turned his head, looking over at Yusuke who was silhouetted but for the occasional dance of moonlight.

The detective tried to give a smile, though it seemed saddened by the sorrow seen in those eyes of his ally, companion, and friend. "I know it's not a tail," he whispered as he finished wrapping it around the fox, "but it's the best we have."

"No…" Youko muttered as he gently wrapped his fingers around the hem of the blanket. A smile spread across his lips; once more Yusuke had born the purest smile from Kurama, something that had not occurred so many times in so many, many long years.

"It's a good substitute."

-o-o-o-

Crickets were chirping loudly as soft, lightly clothed feet made their way in perfect silence across the wooden floors of the Japanese temple. Light fabric swished against the walls as a shadowed figure made his way through halls and towards the outside world.

He needed freedom this night, not a caged room in which he could only share his pain with the moon so distant and far away, a symbol of how longing for something would only send it further from your reach and from your hope.

Youko had been wrong about everything; he had never been so pained in his life. His entire thought process had been flawed from the start; he had thought that telling Hiei the truth of this body's desires would ease his burdened heart.

He had already been in so much pain and suffering from the loss of Kuronue that there had been nothing else to loose; rejection couldn't hurt one already rejected.

But that was untrue. A second rejection, even if the first was of the gods stealing his lover from him, only worsened the pain of the first, bringing out every detail of anguish in agonizing clarity.

What had he done to himself, and to this life that he now lived so falsely?

"You are a good thief," a voice suddenly broke through the silence as the youko crept past the kitchen, only yards from his salvation; his freedom. "Not a single sound throughout the entire temple."

The youko turned into the kitchen, not bothering to pretend he wasn't there; to pretend he hadn't been caught.

The light flickered on in the kitchen, illuminating the old master that sat at the table, staring at him with unblinking, tired eyes. Those eyes of hers were as wise as Youko's, perhaps more so than even he could ever understand. She stared at him with the wisdom of age and a life of hardships that can only be won through the perseverance of pain and sweat.

"If I'm such a good thief, how did you hear me?" he replied as he crossed over and sank into the chair opposite the master, her eyes telling him he should do so without words needed to direct. The temple owner before him smiled slightly, her eyes crinkling with the age of her skin.

"I happen to know two reasons why you wouldn't be sleeping," she replied as she wrapped her hands around the tea cup on the table and raised it to her lips. After a long sip she set the cup down and continued, "One: A kitsune in mourning is nothing to just wave off. It's said foxes don't form true relationships because they fall farthest and hardest."

Youko's gaze drew down, a move he never would have been so shameful as to produce, but his agonizing despair had long ago thrown his pride to the winds to be carried off where they saw fit.

"I'm not going to deny that," he whispered, staring at her cup of tea because it gave him something to look at other than those all knowing eyes that bore into his very soul.

"You know what?" she suddenly announced, climbing to her feet as she slid the chair back, "I know what you need. I'll get you some ice cream; it'll make you feel better."

Youko lifted his head to look at her in mild confusion and brief curiosity. It was good; curiosity kept his mind off the thoughts that lingered there, plaguing him with never ending guilt, despair, and wallowing pity mixed with hatred.

"Some what?"

"Ice cream," Genkai clarified as she moved over towards the freezer (Youko identified it as the big white cold box that held food and drinks, since he couldn't quite understand the purpose of humans having to name everything they saw. To him, it didn't need a name; identification and recognition was all it needed to serve its purpose.) She pulled open the doors. "It's a type of food."

Youko's brow furled at this. How would food make him feel any better? He certainly wasn't hungry at the moment and, although he had declined dinner tonight, his stomach not up for the challenge to topple his quivering chest, he had been eating relatively well over the last two days.

"Food…will make me feel better?"

Genkai smirked, giving a soft snort of amusement as she pulled out a round tub of something and set it on the counter. "Trust me," she replied as she grabbed a bowl from a cabinet and began scooping a semi-solid, almost gelatin but not transparent substance into the bowl.

Youko watched with deep interest; anything to captivate his mind for the time being. When several scoops of this gelatinous, solid cream had been put into the bowl, she walked back over and handed the dish as well as a spoon to him and told him to eat it, but not too fast.

The fox demon lifted a spoonful of the oddly shaped, white substance and slowly slid it into his mouth, not even pausing to contemplate poison. What would it matter if he died now or lived till tomorrow?

Green eyes lit up as the substance of pure cold began to melt in his mouth, liquefying and spreading over his tongue, electrifying his senses. It was like sucking on snow but it had flavor that he could only dream to describe!

"It's like sweetened snow!" he cried out as he spooned another bite and fed it into hid mouth, sucking on the spoon with a childish joy.

Genkai smirked, not able to stop the irony and humor that passed at that statement. She knew her next statement would bring trouble, but it was a perfect opportunity to bring it up. "That's exactly what Hiei called it."

Sure enough, the fox demon grew silent as the grave, staring at the bowl of smooth, creamy treat called ice cream. Slowly, he slid the spoon back in and grabbed another bite, the only sounds being the clanking of silverware to the dish.

"And here we find reason number two," Genkai spoke softer, her tones gentle and conveying her understanding of the situation.

Youko remained quite, eating several more bites before he found the courage to speak once more, his voice hoarse at first before he swallowed the pain and summoned the little pride he had left. "H…How long have I loved him?"

"Oh, about nine years," Genkai replied easily, pouring herself more tea.

"Why didn't I ever tell him?"

The old master raised an eyebrow at his question. "I would have thought the answer to that was apparent," she replied, sipping her tea as she cocked her head to gesture at his wrapped ankle.

Youko bowed his head as he mumbled something of an acceptance. Genkai watched with an unknowing sorrow as the tears began to roll down the fox's cheek, he unable to contain them any longer.

"I think…" the fox whispered softly, almost inaudible in the quiet of the kitchen, "I'm not the one truly crying…"

Genkai glanced up at him, surprised at this amount of knowledge and recognition coming from the mourning kitsune. She gave a slow nod. "Yes, Kurama, if you wish to call your current or future self that, knows as you know. It is likely that when we get your memory back, you will still remember everything that has happened here."

"So don't say anything bad about me, right?" Youko suddenly joked, looking up with a small smirk as he spooned another mouthful of ice cream. He couldn't let the old master before him admit to what he already knew: he would remember Hiei's rejection and the never ending pain that had accompanied it.

There would be no turning back.

Genkai gave a soft smile at the Youko's aversion of the truth. "Right…don't say anything bad." She glanced down at the emptying bowl of ice cream and stood again. "Here, let me get you more ice cream."

She reached for the bowl but paused and slowly retracted her hand. "Actually, let me get you the whole gallon. You look like you need it."

-o-o-o-

_Chapter 11_

End

-o-o-o-

Well, I finished this chapter in record time! All in one night…of course I had all the dialogue already written out but hey, you don't know tha- oh…you do now…

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter a lot, I had a blast writing it,

**Author's Notes**:

_Youko's confession_: I have tried explaining it three times in this chapter, but I still don't know if I got it across; Kurama thought that he couldn't know any more pain, so it was the perfect time to confess. He wouldn't feel the pain that Hiei would inflict. However, he didn't expect Hiei to bring up his mourning for Kuronue, which only doubled the pain because he was being rejected on terms of his own loss.

_The Tail episode_: Okay, I couldn't help that cute little part. It popped into my head ages ago and I simply had to include it.

_Genkai and Ice Cream_: Okay, ice cream does make you feel better, and I thought it was important to clarify again why everything is the way it is.

_Hiei's confusion_: The reason for Hiei's uncertainty as well as his adamant hatred of Youko will all be explained further in later chapters. So no worries, there is a reason for the slight OOC there and the crazy amount of anger that led to the painful rejection.

**End Author Notes**

Please Review!


	12. Memories Unwanted

**Disclaimer: **Okay, I took the number of stories and then broke it down into how many chapters I have and counted up the number of Disclaimers I've done so far.

56 posted disclaimers.

57 including this one.

And that doesn't include the seventeen more that I haven't posted.

Are you seeing my point here?

No, probably not. I don't even see my point.

**Note**: Bit of a depressing chapter. Funny, I was so happy when I wrote it. Anyways, this chapter does not put Youko as a very optimistic character, so I hope you can all hang in there with me.

**Second Note**: Don't kill me or Hiei as you read this. Hang in there for a little while longer.

I've yet to lead you astray, right? Trust me.

**Third Note**: Happy when I wrote it, not so when I posted. This chapter is for **KyoHana**, for sticking with me. I owe you a lot.

-o-o-o-

_**Memories of the Lost**_

_Chapter 12_

Memories Unwanted

-o-o-o-

Youko Kurama had finally figured something out.

He didn't need Hiei.

He was very satisfied with Ben and with Jerry instead; they treated him far better.

The fox demon sighed as Genkai slid open the door to his room, or what apparently had been claimed as his room in this world; though he knew none of the clothes that hung in the closet nor the scarce pictures around the room.

Genkai had to pry the pint of ice cream out of his hands, though he didn't give much of a fight. He'd already lost one love of his life; what did the other two matter?

With a silly little thought of waving off his two new lovers, he curiously shook his head, confused at the giddiness he felt and the buzz between his ears

Genkai called it a sugar rush; he called it some sort of rush.

The truth of the matter was that it did not cure him of his pain nor his sufferings, but rather just made everything so much worse. The ice cream had helped as the old master had promised it would, but she had neglected to mention that the temporary satisfaction was only that; temporary.

He sighed again, though this time inaudibly as he shifted on the bed, climbing slowly off of it. The old woman who was making her way towards the door, the Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream in her hand turned as he moved to follow her.

"You've had enough, kitsune," she all but commanded as her hand circled around the pint almost protectively but the youko only shook his head.

"I don't want any more." When he spoke his words were calm and thought out, but still stressed with the need to speak them. "I need to get out of here; out of this temple."

Genkai frowned slightly but when Kurama's eyes darted around slightly she slowly understood; Hiei was everyone in this temple.

His scent was in every room if you searched hard enough, his picture in almost every one that Genkai owned (which was about a total of four, maybe,) his presence there no matter where you went.

Hiei was everywhere and it was killing the fox to be constantly reminded of his pain. He needed an escape to wherever the fire demon was not.

Slowly, the old master nodded. However she needed to make sure the youko was very clear on the only subject that mattered. "You may leave but don't go far. The man that we have warned you about is still out there, looking for an opportunity to strike again."

Youko nodded and headed for the door but Genkai blocked his way once more, her arm spread across the space, bracing against the old Japanese wood. Green eyes that constantly reminded her of how they should be gold glanced down to stare at her in an almost sorrowful disdain.

She ignored it.

Afterall, she didn't do pity and the Youko wouldn't have accepted it.

"You are not as strong as you remember being," she replied curtly. "You have a different strength now; one you will not be able to summon without practice, which you won't bother doing, so be more cautious."

Slowly, the kitsune nodded in a more accepting manner and Genkai had the feeling that her words had finally hit a little deeper within that egotistically thick skull of his.

"Good. Just remember something, Youko," she added as she removed her hand, clearing his way and he started forward almost hesitantly as the old master continued, "you may not care for your life much right now, but others here certainly do."

He left with silent footsteps but one last quiet response before disappearing into the dim light of dusk.

"Thank you."

-o-o-o-

The kitsune once more found himself on the stony beach where disaster had found him the night before. Why he chose here, he'd never know; in seeking a place that would not remind him of the fire demon, he had found the opposite.

In just a few hours he could call it a one day anniversary of the biggest mess-up he'd ever done right.

He couldn't truly call it a mess-up without adding on that he'd been right to do it, however. It may have been the most painful thing in his life (well, second to Kuronue's death currently) but he had been right in doing it; it needed to be done.

Like he had told the diminutive fire demon; love was pointless if kept bottled up inside.

If he had left things like they were, the Kurama that he was now would be in twice the pain in the near future.

A small sigh escaped him as his eyes sought out the slowly brightening moon, higher in the sky this night than it had been the night before. The waterfall seemed slower, somehow, the water less pure, the rocks all the sharper on his hands.

Though he knew it all to be in his head, he wondered why this location was more uncomfortable now than it was yesterday, when he had been far more anxious waiting for Hiei to approach.

A rustle in the trees behind him immediately alerted him to a second presence that he had felt long before it decided to make noise.

Slowly turning his head enough to stare out of green eyes over his shoulder, he took in the fire demon standing at the very edge of the forest, close enough that his back was probably brushing the leaves and trees.

Without a single word or anything more than that unreadable look, which contained neither surprise nor care, he returned his softened orbs to that beautiful white light in the sky that was the only thing he could rely on anymore; his only sanctuary.

Moments passed in absolute silence but for the impatient shifting of black boots on the ground. The fire demon was obviously waiting for the fox to be the first to speak, which was an idiotic thing to hope for, considering that, despite what Hiei might believe, Kurama had nothing else to say to him.

He had said everything needed to be said the night before.

And he had received his answer.

Finally, obviously sick of waiting on a youko that believed the rest of the world to be nonexistent and therefore did not care who waited for him to notice, Hiei gave an annoyed grunt in pretense to capture Youko's attention.

In pretense, that is.

"Does Yusuke know you're out here?" The voice was cold and unlike the emotionless gaze that Kurama had mastered in seconds of being in this body (he noticed that this Kurama used a mask a lot for it had been easy to slip it in place once he located it) and Hiei's crimson orbs glared fires and daggers at the fox's back.

"No."

Once more there was neither emotion nor care in those tones and he never once even twitched from his currently location, legs spread out in front of him, crossed at the ankles, propped up by outstretched arms behind him, less pressure on his injured, wrapped wrist.

Hiei's eyes narrowed at the careless response that he could call reckless. A frown caressed his already angry features and his scowl deepened ever so with it. "Do you think that wise?" he asked as he shoved his hands in his pockets, determined not to care what the youko did with his life, only what he did with Kurama's.

But if the fire demon was being honest with himself at all and truly paying attention to his own thoughts, he would realize that he was just bull shitting himself in his own contradictions.

Not care about the Youko but care about Kurama? They were two of the same; you could not have one without the other, it wasn't possible. The fox that he was allied with today would not be who he was without the youko buried within him. And in that right, he had no need nor desire to hate the kitsune before him as he did.

Perhaps, instead, what was truly bothering him was the fact that Youko now stood where he desperately wanted his friend back. Maybe it was the fact that Youko had the guts to tell Hiei what Kurama didn't.

Or maybe it was because Youko had the courage to say what neither he nor Kurama could bring themselves to admit.

But that was if the fire demon was being honest with himself which, frankly, he was not.

"Do you think I care?"

That answer got Youko a glare that he could feel through the temperature rise caused by the angry heat that radiated off of the fire demon. With a very low growl, warning Kurama of the anger soon to come if he didn't correct that statement immediately, the fire demon clenched his fists.

And for all the care, he found it coyly funny that the fire demon should propose a conversation about his safety, using Yusuke as a focal point when it hadn't been the detective that sought him out; it had been Hiei.

"I don't know what the fuck your problem is," the hiyoukai began coldly, his chest almost heaving in anger. How dare this youko _slut_ risk Kurama's life. "But you'd better get over your love-sick mourning, already. Syunsuke could attack at any moment!"

There was a long silence in that statement as Youko thought about those words.

It was obvious Hiei cared for this ningen body and new combined soul of his; otherwise he wouldn't have followed him sense he left the temple. He wouldn't have approached him to ask why he was out here (despite the rude way he found how to do so, as earlier noted in his thoughts.) He would not have sounded so concerned with his last statement.

Something about how he reacted to everything so far stuck out in Youko's mind. It was almost as if…Green eyes widened with possible recognition. It was almost as if Hiei loved Kurama, but neither knew it nor knew how to handle it.

And the fox had a very curious thought then; what would happen if he could prove the fire demon's own emotions?

After all, what else did he have to loose, really?

His life?

Hiei wouldn't take it from him; not when he was in the fire demon's _precious_ Kurama.

And if he could get him to realize it, maybe he could patch together the remains of his, and Kurama's, life.

So, with the quick, mischievous thoughts that the sly fox was well known for, he gave a careless shrug of his shoulders and replied nonchalantly, "Let him attack."

The immense anger that he had been warned about through multiple signs flared with that statement, almost boiling over the top of the pot.

It was exactly what Youko needed; the fire demon to be enraged enough that he would slip and admit what his heart knew before his mind could rationalize it. He would have to push it further, however. Hiei was not nearly mad enough to cause a slip, not when he had such amazing mental power to begin with.

So he slowly stood, staring at the moon all the same, never taking those forest green eyes away from the glowing silver orb. A light, ghost of a smile traced his features as he was basked in that very moonlight.

"After all," the youko added on, making sure his tones were perfectly uninterested to create the greatest anger he could possibly think up, "he probably only wants this body for a good fuck, and then he'll send Kurama packing back when he tires of him."

His tones were so convincing that he himself had to pause and wonder if he truly didn't care about what he was saying. This was his supposed future body, at least in his mind and he had to take care of it all he could, right?

That didn't matter, the fire demon would never let whatever-his-name-was take Youko. His body meant so much to Hiei anyways.

However, despite his previous assumptions (of which he was getting a lot wrong lately,) small but harsh hands were suddenly on his slightly sagging shoulders, spinning him around roughly on the stones beneath his feet, causing a wince as his already twisted angel was pushed more so.

Why had he been so stubborn against Genkai healing him?

Oh yeah, he really didn't know her. And you don't let people you don't know touch you.

Demon Knowledge 101.

Which was why he had a fire demon he barely knew gripping both his shoulders.

Right.

He briefly wondered where that thought had come from, not knowing what the "101" exactly meant, but when he had thought of the words "demon knowledge" that odd little remainder popped up.

Perhaps it was as the old master had said; Kurama was still deep within his mind, buried but not gone. Maybe this was some human thing he had picked up over the years.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Hiei screamed out loud enough to bring him back to the present. He shoved him roughly back and Youko had to keep a very conscious mind of his injury lest he worsen it.

Without conscious thought the fox shoved Hiei back in reply, his own anger suddenly piling up, half of it coming from an unknown source (most likely his forgotten self know buried within his subconscious) and he used it to all his desire, letting words flow from his mouth before he could even contemplate what he was saying.

"Me? Why don't you go interrogate yourself? Are you sure you're not a bat demon, because you certainly are as blind as one!" He was screaming back at the fire demon now, fists clenched at his sides and mirroring the black-haired one before him. "Well, at least your koorime blood can be seen through your icy heart!"

Youko wasn't sure what happened next, but one second he was screaming his mouth off before his mind could catch up and the next he was stumbling back, his jaw stinging like hell. He tried to balance himself out but ended up twisted his already bad ankle between two rocks and he fell to the stony ground, landing on his bottom with a pained hiss.

"Don't you ever speak of my heritage again!" Hiei screamed, and Youko had to pause once more to wonder how exactly he knew the fire demon was even part Koorime…or part fire demon for that matter, but he had always just referred to him as the fire demon.

It didn't make much sense, but then again, nothing did these days.

"What are you going to do, kill me?" Youko asked with an almost calm voice but for the slight sneer in his tones as he wiped a small trickle of blood away from his mouth. A second shout-out that seemed to be warning him of what might happen were he to push the fire demon too far was screaming danger. It was brought on by the fact that Hiei had punched him; punched his precious Kurama's body.

What else would he do, then, if he had no objections to hurting him?

And once more, that small voice in the back of Youko's head, the one that was normally his sense of logic and normally was ignored in order to go steal more stuff, was whispering the first thing that he'd ever listened to.

_'What have you got to loose anymore?'_

And for the first time, it was right.

Hiei, however, had gone far past rage and entered a state where nothing mattered but silencing that youko before him; that liar, manipulator, the one who was trying to take his Kurama away from him.

Youko's eyes widened as he was tackled in the blink of an eye, either wrist pinned painfully to the harsh rocks beneath him. Hiei's knees were on either side of his waist, the fire demon straddling him in order to keep him from getting up.

Despite the diminutive size of the hiyoukai, his strength was immense and Youko didn't bother trying to fight against it in his weak human form. Perhaps he could get the fire demon to confess this way, though he had the suddenly sinking feeling that this was going worse than it should.

But once more; he had nothing left to loose and neither did Kurama.

"Do not tempt me," Hiei whispered in pure malice, a voice which had not escaped those lips since he had located the Koorime Island and returned.

But even there he had given up caring and returned to his nonchalant rudeness, leaving without harming a soul on the island.

It hadn't mattered then; was this any different?

He shook his head mentally from the thoughts, dispersing them. Of course this was different; this was incredibly different. This was an enemy; a sly fox just trying to bed him to rid himself of the pain of Kuronue's loss.

Just a lusting Youko who needed release, and could care less if it ruined Kurama's purity and innocence in the meanwhile.

"I wonder what he sees in you," Youko whispered softly, staring straight up into those blazing crimson eyes. "Kurama, that is. He must see you through rose-colored glasses, fire demon. All I see is a cold soul hiding behind a mask."

Hiei's anger had never reached this point before and a red haze fought around the edges of his vision. Voices echoed through his mind, whispering, whispering, never ceasing. _Kill him, kill him, kill him_.

But he shoved his primal angers back enough to restrain himself from slicing the Youko's head from that thin neck.

He couldn't, however, control the fire that burned through him with such ferocity that it didn't stay only within him. Youko winced as the skin on either of his hands began to heat to the point of burning.

However, he dare not squirm; he would not loose this fight. As skin began to blister and sizzle with the smell of burning flesh slowly floating through the night, he simply stared into those cold red eyes, unwavering in his own determination.

"What would you know of souls?" the hiss formed through clenched teeth. Kurama's arms began to shake from the burn, but he paid no heed nor notice, only curiously wondered what Hiei would think when he realized that he had harmed _his_ Kurama.

Always _his_.

"You're nothing but a worthless youko who steals from one half the Makai and sleeps with the other!" the accusation had been rising to its crescendo until Hiei was growling it out to keep from shouting in the fox's face.

Green eyes narrowed and, had the fire demon been a little more focused on what was right, he would have noticed the flash of gold that left streaks slowly fading like an ore of bullion in an emerald gem.

But he didn't notice and he didn't care and he kept right on hissing those accusations that he didn't really mean and he didn't really want to say. "And now," his eyes furrowed in pure hate and burning desire to end the life before him for no reason that he could correctly claim to, "you're claiming that all of this is because you're 'mourning' the loss of a fucking _boy-toy_."

Something within Youko almost snapped.

Almost.

But before he could summon his own energy from anger alone, rather than knowledge of how to do so in this new body, a slow realization came to him.

No matter what happened to him under Hiei's hands, this was how he could make the fire demon see. Make him see what he didn't want to see.

The guilt of hurting _his_ fox would eventually catch up to him and force him to see the pain that it caused himself in guilt and horror.

The blistered, bleeding flesh beneath small, childish hands would always be a reminder of what had passed when the fire demon refused to admit his own feelings.

And so the fox backed his anger down, shoving it to the side where he could later discard of it against a harmless rock or wall. The pain on his knuckles would feel good against his fading hold on reality.

With softening eyes, he stared up at the fire demon in a sort of pitying sorrow as he shook his head in disapproving disappointment. "You really are nothing," he whispered out, softly enough to barely be heard over the trickling waterfall into the lake.

He expected pain.

What he got was metal.

The presence of a sword at his throat was not what he expected and it surprised him, but he schooled the emotion away, looking slowly up into those furious crimson eyes. Hiei's bloody orbs had something to prove in them, but neither demon seemed to know what and both came to fear what they didn't know.

"And you think you're any better?"

The youko didn't need to answer that question aloud. No, he wasn't. He'd been so consumed in his own grief over Kuronue that he had wanted any escape from it, including the relief of telling Hiei of his ningen body's feelings.

And through that he had ruined his future; a future he had never believed in to begin with.

But now he knew it was real; it was so real and he had ruined all of it.

What did it matter now what he thought of himself? There was nothing more that could be done to make it worse, and he only hoped now to make it better.

He had _nothing_ left to loose but his life.

But now, now he had everything to gain for Kurama. Not for himself, but for the Kurama who'd ruined his life to the recklessness of a mourning Youko.

"Go ahead, Hiei." His tone had dropped to nothing above a whisper, and the fire demon truly did have to strain to hear the daring voice of the Youko. "Go ahead and find out what it's like to watch one you care for die. Watch as their life force drains from their body in crimson streams to litter the forest floor."

The remaining hand on his wrist was tightening unconsciously and he could feel the pressure building. Despite the growing pain the youko ignored it; what good would it do to back out now?

A snap drowned out by his ever flowing voice signified the breaking of bones but he didn't choose to feel it.

"Watch the hot blood run over your fingers as you try desperately to pull their deaths away, free them from the burden. Let it taint you for all eternity, engulfing you in the beating guilt of every pulse. Let it wash away your soul, eating at your mind with every day.

"Let it consume you," Youko continued his long line of whispering as Hiei's face drew more and more horrified as he released the second, broken wrist to grip the katana's hilt with both hands. The fox demon slowly lifted his fingers, no longer consciously thinking but once more only doing what he knew, somehow, was both right and wrong.

And for Inari's sake he no longer cared.

Two long, narrow fingers pressed against the blade, cutting it into his skin as he reached up and pressed his lips against the shocked, horrified fire demon.

Crimson red eyes widened and Hiei pulled away immediately, jumping back from the fox as he released his last wrist. A thin, red line appeared on that thin neck from the sudden movement and blood dripped from the small wound on the fox's throat. Blood lined the very tip of the sword as well.

Horrified at what he'd done, Hiei looked down at the crimson gathering at the end of his blade in a single, thin trickle.

"Can you feel it, fire demon?" Youko whispered slightly as the minute amount of liquid slowly pooled at the cut to form a single drop, sliding down his neck. "The blood running down your skin, erasing every happy memory, destroying ever link of emotion? Can you feel it taking over?"

"Hn," he grunted in attempt to save his last shred of dignity, sheathing the weapon and backing away. "You really have lost your mind."

With a flitter of a cloak and a small gust of wind from the displaced air, Hiei had disappeared from the beach shore and back into the forest, his presence growing farther and farther away with every second.

The fire demon wanted to get as far away as possible. He couldn't see that cut on Kurama's neck, not knowing it was his blade that had created it.

Not on his Kurama.

Slowly, Youko sat up, keeping pressure of his left, broken wrist. He raised his right, blistered and bleeding, arm to gently run across the barely pierced skin of his neck, wiping up a small drop of blood that had begun to find its way down his neck and to his collarbone.

"Haven't most who've fallen in love?"

The small whispered reply fell on deft ears of a quiet forest. No one was there to hear him and no one was there to care.

But it didn't matter anymore; nothing seemed to matter anymore.

Hiei hated him, Kurama would hate him, and Youko already hated himself.

Exactly what was there to live for in the first place?

What hell had he stuck himself in as a replacement for going to the original when he was supposed to?

With a sigh the Youko put gentle pressure on his wrist, trying to climb to his feet without irritating his ankle any further.

A sickening crack echoed loudly enough to be heard over the falling water and the fox bit back a scream, containing it to a very anguished yelp as he fell back to the rocks, catching his wrist protectively in his other hand.

There was no doubt; his bones had been all but shattered by the fire demon's rage.

It wasn't surprising, really. He hadn't been suspecting it but he should have seen that it would happen; the fire demon had so much rage pent up inside from his entire life that something one day had to make him snap and stop trying to hide it inside.

Youko was just the lucky one to find that particular someday.

Cradling his wrist in his somewhat good (albeit burned) hand, he began walking back in the direction that was the temple, knowing that he needed healing, despite Demon Knowledge 101 or whatever the hell he had thought earlier.

There was one thing he could take comfort in, though.

Genkai would be right down pissed at him.

Actually, that was two things.

She'd be pissed, but she'd let him have more ice cream.

That thought somehow brought movement to his tired legs and he headed to the temple in hopes of meeting Ben and Jerry once more before succumbing to the painless sleep that could not guarantee a lack of nightmares, but for which he prayed.

A snap of a branch, the crack echoing through the dark but silent forest, caught the fox's attention, and he turned immediately alert eyes to the surrounding, ominous trees.

'_Stupid, stupid stupid,_' he cursed himself. He had let his guard down, his thoughts much more concerned with his two boyfriends waiting for him at home with fish food which was, for some odd reason, spelled funny with a "ph."

Youko shook his head mentally, cursing himself still but switching languages unconsciously. He could feel someone watching him and he knew right then and there that he had no choice.

But what did it matter?

Like every other answer that night: it didn't.

With a mental sigh he turned and took off running at a speed impressive for a half human with a sprained ankle.

Impressive indeed, but not to the exceeding speed of a full-fledged and unharmed demon.

Before Kurama had made it halfway to the temple, ducking branches and trees, hopping fallen logs and running with light feet through the undergrowth of the forest, he was tackled easily from behind, just as he knew would happen all along.

And if he knew it had happened, why not run for the fun of it. There was no thrill if you simply let the things known to happen just happen without any hitches.

And Youko concluded that his sense of humor had all but taken a morbid turn towards extinction.

He gasped out involuntarily as a think hand wrapped around his throat, spinning him and slamming him into the trunk of a tree, knocking the wind from his lungs. As he tried to regain it, the slowly squeezed windpipe being a definite handicap to the situation, he opened green eyes to stare at the demon before him.

Long bluish-black hair, dark blue eyes, blue robes, yada yada yada. Yeah, this had to be the one that everyone warned him about so much. He didn't seem like all that much but, then again, the weak girly ones liked to come after him a lot.

Yes, he had been correct in assuming his sense of humor had gone twisted.

"You must be Syunsuke," he said without much care and certainly without fear. After all, just like everything else, what good was fear when you already knew it was going to happen?

"Ah, the famous Youko Kurama," the demon before him whispered, running his thumb over the pale skin of his neck. The fox could feel his new wound there bleed a little more at the agitation of his skin.

"In the flesh," he began to say but closed his eyes and shrugged past the lack of oxygen. "Well, mind anyways."

A hand slowly crept down his arm to his oddly bent wrist and green eyes still laced with gold flashed open at the fingers running over bleeding and blistered skin that covered fractioned, splintered bone.

"Hmm…" Syunsuke mumbled to himself, those eyes never taking off of green ones that stared right back, the farthest hints of pain only beginning to flash through them. "This looks broken."

Nails dug into the skin quite suddenly and Youko's eyes widened. The scream that filled his throat came out partially muffled as he tried to block it the best he could, but being unprepared for the sudden treatment shot waves of increased injury through his nerves.

"Yes, most certainly broken," Syunsuke had moved closer to whisper against Kurama's ear, hot breath tickling his human senses and he briefly shook his head, not enjoying the feeling of that breath on skin (nor human ears at all for that matter.)

"You should take better care of yourself," the soft, taunting voice continued on and for some reason, the kitsune found himself shivering at the tones and the words. "You'll have to come with me so I can wrap that up for you."

Green eyes blinked open to look down as Syunsuke released his wrist and drew into his own robes for something. Youko wiggled beneath his grip, trying to get away out of futile suddenness as a knife was drawn from those blue cloths.

"Now, now, don't fight, dear Youko," the demon lightly scolded. "I only need a little of your blood."

-o-o-o-

_Chapter 12_

End

-o-o-o-

I can see the Matterhorn out my bedroom window!

The real Matterhorn, not the stupid imitation at Disneyland! Shouldn't call it stupid actually…I love that ride.

Anyways!

**Author's Notes**:

…_Demon Knowledge 101_… Proof that the real Kurama is still in there, and has awoken somewhat at the revelation of having told Hiei the truth and having been rejected.

…_see you through rose-colored glasses…_My mom once accused my dad of seeing the world through "rose-colored glasses" and his angry response back was "Yeah, well yours are cracked!"

Don't worry, they divorced a long time ago and it's all much better.

But ever sense my dad told me that, the phrase "through rose-colored glasses" has become my own personal motto. Because I do see the world through Rose-colored Glasses.

And it's such a beautiful world.

_Hiei's Anger_: Once more, will be explained in following chapters, but has also been explained in prior and this chapter. Look, he's angry at himself for not knowing why he's so damn angry and it's only making him angrier (ooh, surprising.)

He loves Kurama but won't admit it and, subconsciously, the pain and annoyance of not knowing nor admitting has made him angry and Youko is just standing right there with a target painted on his forehead.

So Hiei's releasing that anger without really thinking about what he's doing first.

_Youko's decision_: Youko knows that he's ruined Kurama's life now. With telling Hiei everything, he's ruined his future in ways he couldn't at first even imagine, let alone prepare for.

So now, even though there is nothing but life to loose, he wants to gain everything back if he can. To repent for hurting Kurama's life.

He's hoping that if he can get Hiei to realize his emotions then the fire demon will eventually accept them and Youko will have improved Kurama's life rather than ruined it.

_Youko's realization of Hiei's feelings: _like noticing that he loved Hiei, it just took him slightly longer to see that Hiei loves Kurama.

When you're an outsider of a relationship, it's a lot easier to notice the feelings others broadcast. As a member of a relationship, there's always doubt and insecurity that clouds the ability to see what the other is showing so easily.

As Youko, he wasn't a part of that relationship yet and so he could see the love in Hiei's actions, words, and eyes without the fog of doubt.

**End Author Notes**

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed; maybe Youko and Hiei weren't too bad.

Please Review.


	13. Memories Unwanted pt II

**Disclaimer**: I think I'm up to sixty two disclaimers!

Man, I must be bored to calculate that number. Don't I have better things to be doing?

Oh yeah…like writing the other disclaimers I have to update (plus the stories that go with them 8D)

**Notes**: Wow…we're really getting there people. If I had to guess, I'd say…four or five more chapters at the most. Unless one of those unplanned updates to my outline occurs.

Those actually happen a lot when I only _like_ the planned ending for my story, instead of _loving_ the ending.

So we'll see how it goes, but I still say about five chapters left (including this one)

-o-o-o-

_**Memories of the Lost**_

_Chapter 13_

Memories Unwanted (pt II)

-o-o-o-

Yusuke wandered through the halls of the temple, unsure what to do but restless with the need to do something. Koenma has just left, taking with him the only distraction he had left.

Albeit it had been a very good distraction.

The detective coughed lightly at his thoughts, a smirk flitting over his lips but a light blush crossing his cheeks.

Speaking of boyfriends, Yusuke turned changed his direction, heading for the youko's room. He was restless because there was nothing he could do to help the fox get his memories back. And as much as he wanted his friend back, he felt for the youko that held his body now.

It was obvious that Youko Kurama was lost in this world. He did not belong, and so he not only felt like an outsider but an intruder as well. It was unfair to want Kurama back fully when the youko was suffering so much.

It was like telling him to his face that his problem was too troublesome, so just go away and give them back Kurama.

But, what Yusuke could see and Hiei obviously couldn't, the detective thought, was that Youko was Kurama. He was a part of him that meant everything to the fox they all knew and loved. Without Youko, the man they knew was only half a man.

And how could you tell half of who you loved that he wasn't the half you loved the most.

That was not only cruel to the Youko, but it was unfair to Kurama as well. Yusuke frowned as he walked, fisting his hands to release his anger. How could Hiei do that? How could the fire demon look Kurama in the face and blatantly say he only loved half of him.

Yusuke shook his head. He had no idea how Kurama was going to recover from this, if they even managed to get his memories back.

_No!_ The detective hissed to himself, shaking his head roughly. He couldn't think like that. For Kurama's sake, he couldn't say things like that. They would get his memories back. He would do everything to get Kurama back together in one piece, fire demon be damned.

Now caught between the guilt of not being able to do anything at the moment and the anger at what he knew the fire demon was putting Kurama through, Yusuke gently knocked on the room that the Youko was staying in, the room that Kurama always stayed in at the temple.

"Kurama?" Yusuke called softly. He didn't like the way some of the others addressed the fox as 'Youko.' Either way you looked at it, the fox was still Kurama. He would always be _Kurama_.

They had no right to treat him like he was anyone or anything else.

When there was no answer, the detective gave a little frown, but hoped that the youko had finally gotten some sleep. He slid the temple door to the side, the sound of the wood sliding against the frame filled the air as he stepped in.

What he found was not a youko, but a fire demon. Quick observations led to the conclusion that Youko was not in the room and hadn't been for some time. The bed was devoid of the fox, the sheets unused. However, a fire demon sat atop them, staring at his own hand.

Yusuke frowned slightly just at the picture of Hiei contemplating the depths of his palm. It seemed a little…out of character for the fierce fire demon.

"Hiei, what are yo-" His words were paused as something dripped off of Hiei's fingers and fell to the floor with a soft, wet plop.

It was red.

Yusuke had crossed the room in seconds, grabbing a somewhat surprised fire demon's hand and pulling at it to look for a wound.

The appendage was soaked in blood, not a centimeter free of the red substance. His wrist was splattered with small imprints of it, as if little bubbles of the life source had popped near his skin. There were small clumps in the blood that Yusuke didn't recognize at first but he dropped the fire demon's hand when he finally saw one well enough to realize what it was.

Small globs formed from melted flesh.

"H-Hiei?" Yusuke asked, taking a step back. Empty red eyes looked up at the calling, and the detective was suddenly scared at how haunted they seemed. Something within the fire demon was beginning to churn. Anger building up; anger that came from the unconscious part of the fire demon that loved Kurama, and was now pissed at the injury he had inflicted.

"Hiei…where is Kuram-" Yusuke didn't finish his sentence for at that moment a scream broke through the air.

Every living thing within hearing range of that agonized call froze, and those at the temple that recognized it were suddenly filled with a dread that sent their hearts into their throats in fear.

"Kurama!" Yusuke screamed out, turning and sprinting out the door without a second throught to the fire demon on the bed.

Hiei didn't remain their long. The anguish in the cry that echoed from the woods shocked him out of his miserly staring and he tore out of the room, jumping through the open window.

Kuwabara pulled the door to Yukina's room aside as the young ice maiden stumbled to get up. Both had recognized that cry, both woken from their sleep to hear its horrified pain.

Genkai met Yusuke at the temple entrance, and joined him in sprinting down the steps and across the temple grounds, heading for the forest. They had not taken two steps into it when they froze.

Kurama's spirit energy had disappeared.

"N-No!" Yusuke cried out and tried to take off through the woods when a hand on his arm paused him. He glanced down to the wise, but serious eyes of his master.

"Stop. He may not be dead yet," the old woman spoke, her voice gruff and her grip tight. "He may have traveled to another plane."

Yusuke opened his mouth to say something, perhaps to argue, perhaps to ask her to let go, but it would never be known by Genkai, for a cold, but desperate voice broke through the now silent air.

"This way." Both spiritual fighters turned to look at Hiei, who had paused briefly on the edge of the forest not far from them. "I can smell his blood."

With that he vanished, taking off into the forests at speeds that even blurred Yusuke's excellently trained vision. The detective and his master did not give anytime in following, the former shouting at Kuwabara as he and Yukina emerged from the temple.

The orange-haired man gently took Yukina's hand and began into the forest, running no faster that Yukina could in her kimono, and not once releasing her hand from his.

Yusuke skidded to a halt in time to avoid crashing into Hiei, who had suddenly come into sight, a black figure standing, unmoving. They were deep into the forest, a section that Yusuke had never been to.

There was no path here, nor was their a clearing or any sort of landmark that would make this a likely place for the fox to come.

"He was running from someone." Again, both detective and master turned to the stationary Hiei. The fire demon was looking at the ground, where a pair of footprints widely spread out indicated a large step, and the lack of heal on the print indicated he was running. "He didn't get away."

Yusuke went to say more but stopped, noticing why Hiei had raised his head to a tree that was perhaps five or so feet away from them and Yusuke wondered why he had not noticed it first.

Some of the bark was chipped away, indicating that something had slammed into it, but that was not what drew the intention of those standing there.

In the darkness of the night, with naught but the moon to filter green light through the trees, a single white piece of parchment was visible, nailed to the tree with a rose and splattered in none other than the youko's blood.

Kuwabara and Yukina stumbled to a halt beside them just as Genkai strode forward and pulled the rose out, ignoring the thorns that dug into her hand as she did so. She handed the parchment automatically to Yusuke, examining the rose for herself.

Yusuke swallowed heavily, working to pull his eyes away from the blood that was splattered on the ground at the base of the tree, as well as on the bark of the tree itself. It took him a moment to gather the strength, or more so the anger, it took to look down at what was written on the paper.

Written in the fox's blood.

_Reikai Tentai,_

_I found your kitsune pet with a few broken bones. Seeing as you clearly can not take proper care of him, I have taken him to my home where he will be better cared for. If you choose to stop by, would you mind bringing my amulet with you?_

_Sincerely Yours,_

_Syunsuke_

Yusuke's hand was shaking by the time Kuwabara took the paper from his hand and read it aloud to the rest of them. Genkai, however, was fingering the end of the rose, and drew everyone's attention as she spoke.

"The end of the rose is soaked in his blood," she said as she held it up. The end of the stem was angled, the tip sharp as a knife and obviously how he had nailed the letter up. But more importantly, it was indeed soaked with a dark red liquid. "He used it to write the note."

Yusuke fisted his hands, his nails digging into his palms sharply enough to draw blood. Kuwabara moved towards him, thinking he might punch one of the trees to relieve his anger, but he moved before his friend could reach him.

Yukina gasped as a large thud sounded through the forest and found Hiei slammed into a tree, two hands fisted in his black cloak. Crimson eyes looked up, orbs that showed no surprise at this movement against him. They locked with the chestnut-chocolate eyes of the detective.

"What did you do, Hiei?" he screamed, scaring the birds that had finally settled back down after the scream that had shaken them from their nests. Those hands pushed the fire demon further against the tree, pressing him into the sharp bark.

"I did nothing!" the fire demon growled out, but he no longer sounded as angry as he had for the last two days. "The fucking youko and his lovesick mourning couldn't keep his dick in his pants!"

Yusuke looked away, loosening his grip on the fire demon's cloak. He had known when he found a shocked and hurt youko in the woods last night that it was entirely likely that everything Koenma had warned him to try and stop had already come to pass. But now, it was obvious that Youko had told the fire demon.

"You had blood on your hand, Hiei," he whispered softly. The fire demon did not reply, glancing away at the reference to what he had done to Kurama's wrists. He chose not to answer, instead of facing his guilt like the Youko had hoped he would.

Yusuke finally pulled fully away, releasing the black cloth and backing away. As he did so, he spared one more look to the fire demon, but it was not the angered, accusing glare it had been moments before. This time, it was just regretful and pained.

"Kurama truly loved you," he began as he grabbed the parchment from Kuwabara and the rose from Genkai and started back towards the temple. "Congratulations, cuz' now you may have sent him to his death."

-o-o-o-

Dull green eyes stared at the ceiling above that which he lay on, the orbs half-lidded and unresponsive to the lack of movements around him.

Syunsuke silently walked up to the barren, cold slab of a table the kitsune found himself lying upon, not that he was truly all that aware. Long leather straps hung limply off the sides – their purpose being to hold the kitsune down and yet they were not in service. The blue-haired demon ignored the unused straps and instead looked down on his prize in slight worry, though it certainly came off as more disdain than concern.

The fox had yet to move since his screams died out, and he had remained conscious, unlike most of those that receive memories back into their mindsets.

The blue-robed demon slowly raised his hand to grace fingers over a bare thigh of the kitsune, moving up slowly and watching the fox's expression carefully for a reaction.

He got none.

"You have truly retreated from your mind, Kitsune," Syunsuke whispered softly, staring down at Kurama. There was a slight regret in his eyes, but most of it was hidden by the simple pleasure brought on through his little prize.

His eyes slowly moved over the naked fox, taking in the full beauty of the soft skinned specimen. Those fingers trailed further up the thigh, but without any physical reaction whatsoever, his toy wasn't so enjoyable. Instead, that blue gaze shifted to the wounded, bandaged wrist that lay limp beside the fox's thin, jutting hip.

The blood flow had thinned, only sparsely dotting the clean bandages now. The wound had not been deep, only enough to draw the desired blood to write his ransom note. It had healed quickly for a demon, and this information pleased Syunsuke. At least his toy would last a long time.

Well…physically at least. Mentally and emotionally…his toy was already spent.

Those dull green eyes closed slightly, the only movement of the entire body in the last several minutes. They were only closed for a moment before green orbs were once more visible, but only half so, as had been normalcy since the man's induced memory trauma.

"My dear fox…" the mind demon whispered softly as he ran those same deft fingers down the not-truly-conscious kitsune's cheek.

No response.

Kurama could feel nothing.

Kurama was no longer anything.

Kurama had no memory, no mind, no soul, and no heart. Nothing could be felt, nothing could be touched, nothing could be known.

Kurama was nothing.

Syunsuke sighed and pulled away, taking a step back to observe the larger picture of his latest toy lying limp upon the slab of table. None of his other playthings had had that reaction to his provocative forms of torture and care, though none had quite encouraged said response.

He had never had a lover like Kurama before. The fox awoke every inch of desire that was contained within his body. Youko truly were the best lovers in Makai. Legends told of their amazing ability to arouse one into undeniable lust.

Though Syunsuke had only claimed him for a single night, it was enough to make him want Kurama for all eternity – to rob him of his virtues over and over again until there was nothing left but a broken doll that begged him to begin all over again.

He trailed his fingers along the kitsune's skin, begging for some sort of reaction and for the first time in many many years of mind manipulation, he regretted his actions. But he did not show remorse for the fox, nor feel it in any manner. What he felt was the purely selfish sorrow of having spent a toy long before his years of use should have been up.

Kurama was nothing more than a dead corpse lying upon the ground and Syunsuke was not into necrophilia. His pleasure came in the response he got from the fox.

No response – no fun.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden noise of walls being torn and ripped from the earth in which they stood. The explosion ripped through the halls of the mansion, shaking the foundations and a light layer of dust fell from the aging ceiling above the two figures in the room.

Kurama remained unresponsive to the motion of the floor or the dust that fell lightly upon him, other than to blink the particles away from his eyes.

Syunsuke glanced to the door- the only entrance into the room. A small smile began to creep up onto his face as the very distant sound of shouts and smaller explosions rippled in following. The corners of his mouth twitched upwards until a look of pure insanity had spread across his features.

Perhaps his toy _was _spent, but he still had three new friends to play with, and one of which he knew he could toy with beyond the boundaries of insanity.

-o-o-o-

_Chapter 13_

End

-o-o-o-

Alright, I know this chapter is much shorter than the others, but I needed a reasonable place to stop.

Sorry for the shortness, I hope you can live with it until the next update!

Thanks guys, and I hope you review!


	14. Memories No Longer

**Disclaimer**: Okay, so here's the drill: I don't own them, just like the last author you read from, just like the next author you'll read from. We should all join an I-Don't-Own-Them-And-Never-Will Club.

This chapter is for **KyoHana**, who got my little trivia question right on _Content_.

**Fun bit of pointless trivia**: I wrote this chapter three years ago, before I had even gotten the first chapter out. So, obviously, I've been anticipating this for a…while now.

**Oopsies**: Okay…so…I just kinda' noticed a bit of an inconsistency…well….

It seems Syunsuke has several hair colors, the most prominent being Blue and Black. So…for the first three chapters, he has black hair, and for the other … ten, he's had blue hair….so….he has really dark blue hair that looks black.

Everyone cool with that?

If not...he dyes it? ;-D

-o-o-o-

**Memories of the Lost**_**  
**_

_Chapter 14 _

Memories No Longer

-o-o-o-

The three remaining tentai stood before the door. A simple, white door in the richly decorated hallway. The silver handle reflected the three tentai in disproportionate images as they stood, unsure of what to do. Yusuke and Kuwabara glanced back behind them, down at Hiei. The fire demon's eyes were cold and emotionless and the two glanced at each other once more in worry.

Entering Syunsuke's mansion had not been difficult. They knew exactly were it was, exactly how to get in, and they had met no opposition. It was as if the stupid demon was taunting them, welcoming them inside as guests.

And it made all three even more terrified of what they would find within the mansion's walls.

After all, you don't put up guards and traps if there's nothing left to protect.

Snorting in impatience and his fellow teammates' idiocy, Hiei reached forward and grabbed the metallic handle. Turning it, he pushed it open, expecting anything to greet his ruby eyes. He expected blood; he expected death; he expected torture and horror and hoards of demons and…

And everything but what was in that room.

Hundreds of enemies poised to attack he could have dealt with; torture and pain he could have dealt with; but a square room of completely white walls was something he had not anticipated and it set him horribly on edge simply for the unknown.

Slowly, he entered the room. Yusuke stepped in after the fire demon, followed directly by Kuwabara. Looking around he saw…almost nothing. It was a cube: ceiling, floor, and walls – all white. It was actually extremely disconcerting, like solitary confinement in an asylum.

Their attention, however, was drawn to the center of the room where sat the very fox they had come to rescue. He was on his knees, sitting back on his calves as if waiting for afternoon tea, with his hands folded properly in his lap. His shoulders were set in a strict posture, but his head hung down with chin against chest. The silky hair he was so well known for was brushed and clean, obviously done so after his rampage through the forest. It hung over his shoulders, hiding his face from his fellow team members.

The position was unnatural for one held within the confines of an enemy and it turned Hiei's stomach to see the fox so obviously fine.

There should have been blood and torture and pain and agony. He could have handled that but this…this made it look like Kurama had been welcomed in Syunsuke's arms and had welcomed himself as well.

This feeling, which had Hiei clenching his hands in shaking fists, was only furthered by the demon in question, standing behind their fox. His deep blue fighting kimono was wrapped about him, a sword hanging at his side. Those deep violet eyes were watching the tentai in amusement.

"Kurama?" Yusuke's voice was barely above a whisper yet it seemed to echo loudly in the room, shattering the intense silence that had settled thickly around it.

The fox neither acknowledged nor moved. As the three detectives advanced into the room, Syunsuke placed a hand on Kurama's shoulder, a warning signal. The tentai paused in their movements.

"Awaken," the dark haired demon spoke, his voice no louder than Yusuke's had been. Slowly, Kurama raised his head, the rest remained unmoving, but it was all they needed. His three friends, three comrades, three teammates; they all looked on in horror and shock.

The kitsune's brilliant eyes were dead.

Their gray expanses seemed far too shallow, no longer so green and vibrant. No emotion or life flowed through those orbs, those eyes that had once been the wildest and more joyful than most had ever seen.

"Kur…Kurama?" Kuwabara whispered in horror, mentally begging those eyes to stop staring at them, to just blink and tell them it was all a sick, stupid joke; a misunderstanding. The fox's face, once more, did nothing to change as it remained as emotionless as the eyes.

"You can call him all you like," Syunsuke spoke, his voice deep and full of a remorseful mirth, a deadly combination. His smirk added to that amusement, though Yusuke was confused at the slight sadness detectable. It made little sense.

Then again, when did sex-depraved psychopaths ever make sense?

At Yusuke's change in expression, the dark haired demon's eyes shifted, hardening and showing no more emotion than his amusement at their predicament. "But he will not remember you."

Kuwabara blinked and Yusuke's eyes widened. "What do you mean?" the latter shouted, taking a step forward and reaching his hand out instinctively. Their enemy stopped them with the tightening of his hand, still laying on the fox's shoulder. When the leader of the tentai paused and fell back, the illusionist merely smiled in smug triumph.

"He will not remember because he has no thoughts left to call upon."

Those words seemed to stop all time within that white, damned room and set ice about the hearts of the three listening. Their blood ran cold and boiled all at the same time, as fear shot through their every nerve.

"What?" Kuwabara asked numbly, the words taking far too long to settle in and immediately rejected by everything he wanted to hope and believe in. "W-what…what did you do to him!?"

The scream echoed ten-fold throughout the room, and Hiei cringed at the repetition of the idiot's high-pitched, annoying voice. However, it was forgivable – and if not that, at least ignorable – due to the situation in which they currently found themselves.

A thousand thoughts were going through the young fire demon's mind, most of them a contradiction to his deeply rooted demonic beliefs and survival instincts. It was obvious that he had hurt the Youko by his immediate rejection and, while not convinced in the slightest that the fox truly loved him (especially in his current mental state), it was fairly safe to conclude that Kurama's capture had been partially his fault.

Syunsuke turned his steel colored gaze to the orange-haired man, who held his hands in clenched fists, nails biting into the skin. Kuwabara's teeth clenched as that gaze turned on him and he braced himself for a fight.

But no fight came, only the reply, "Are you accusing me of something?"

Something in Yusuke snapped and that tight grip on his mindless friend's shoulder was all that kept him from ripping the blue-robed demon to shreds. "Stop playing dumb, you fucking asshole!"

"Then…are you suggesting that I did something…inhumane?" Syunsuke asked in an exaggeration of innocence and ignorance. "Something…" his face began to shift from that fake smile to a smirk of pure malicious amusement, "like returning all of Kurama's memories long enough to exact my revenge…_and_ satisfy my lust at the same time?"

Kuwabara cursed vividly as he summoned his sword. "Kisama!" he screamed out but Yusuke's outstretched arm stopped him, and he glanced at his fellow teammate, who was seething in livid rage, but motioned to the fire demon standing slightly ahead but between them.

Hiei's breathing had become rather ragged, as if he had to force himself to take each gasp of oxygen. His thoughts had taken a rather drastic turn to the more desperate as he realized just what Syunsuke had done.

'_He…really raped him,'_ his mind whispered to him as horror spread through his bones. As a demon growing up in a hostile world, he knew exactly what that kind of trauma could do to someone.

It takes years to get over something like that, and the face and feel of your attacker never truly leaves you, haunting you in the night when silence rings in your ears, leaving you with nothing to block out the screams. Hiei's hands began shaking as his muscles tensed and he couldn't relax them.

Kurama had been raped and his memories stolen, all at once and with none to come and rescue him.

Hiei's ruby red eyes opened once more and flashed dangerously at Syunsuke. No, someone had come to rescue the fox. Not just one someone, though, but three. Three who cared for the kitsune more than anyone else.

The fire demon's nails bit into his palms. He came to rescue the kitsune because he cared about the fox more than anyone else.

Syunsuke just grinned at that terrifying glare which promised a long, slow death full of pain and agony. Yusuke took a step forward to pull their opponent's attention back to himself, and away from his two friends and the fox.

"Give him back his memories."

Syunsuke blinked, his obliviousness seeming to be less an act and scaring the three rescuers. "I'm sorry, but I don't seem to know what you're talking about. What do you want me to do?

Yusuke's palms joined those of his other two teammate's hands in bleeding from his own fingernail marks. "I said give him back his memories."

Syunsuke seemed to consider this demand for a moment, but in vain mockery of Yusuke's command. "Hmm…now there's a rather difficult request for me to grant..." He rubbed his chin as if pondering how to grace the detective with his help. "Indeed…a very difficult request seeing as I haven't got them."

If the demon's earlier statement concerning the lack of Kurama's recognition of them brought fear to their hearts, this statement nearly killed them.

"What….what do you mean?" Kuwabara mumbled weakly, staring at the darker haired demon in dubious surprise. There was little to be made from the information just given, but what he could understand of it brought a cold sense of terror deep into his mind.

There was something off about the fox. Kuwabara had noticed that the moment he walked into the room but hadn't been able to pin it down with a conclusion or solution. He wasn't even sure what it was. But now that Syunsuke had said those puzzling words, Kuwabara began to have a growing feeling of fear deep within his stomach.

It was unsettling and he didn't like where it was leading his thoughts.

Those steel eyes turned back to him and sent shivers down his spine at the pure, unadulterated malice those eyes showed and got from the amusement of the situation, which no one other than he could find.

"Why, dear human, I mean that I don't have his memories," Syunsuke clarified but no more than his last statement had.

Hiei stared at the demon, his glare lost for the moment to painful shock at what he believed this old enemy was leading up to. He didn't want to think about it, he wanted to run away, wanted to get away from the truth and the past and the future and himself and that demon but…

But he didn't want to get away from Kurama. Not again. He'd already made that mistake once.

"Then where are they?" Yusuke screamed out, breaking the fire demon out of his panicking thoughts of claustrophobic hysteria.

Syunsuke merely shrugged. "With the kitsune." He motioned to the fox whose shoulder he had finally released as he took a leisurely mild step to the side.

Kuwabara frowned. "Then why doesn't he remember us? Kurama wouldn't ignore us! And he wouldn't just sit there and let you tell him what to do!"

Syunsuke seemed to nod at this, agreeing with the human detective. "Yes, I'd have to agree with you on that particular matter," he spoke, his voice taking on a completely false sense of intelligence. He gave another fanged grin. "He doesn't remember you because he is broken."

Hiei's eyes widened in pain and fear, and he reached up his hand. Yusuke thought he might send a fireball to the annoying prat of a demon that they all desperately wanted to tear apart and set fire to, but the hiyoukai did no such thing. His Jagan's ward fluttered to the floor as the eye peeled itself open in a violet light that swarmed around them, giving the room at least some color.

The fire demon looked upon his lost friend and saw the flickers of green and gold energy braided together deep within his soul. The rest of the room, and other shades and shadows, disappeared within black and white shifting forms, leaving only the fox on whom to focus.

That energy was still there, there was still some hope. Syunsuke was wrong – he wasn't broken…not yet.

The third eye all but slammed shut as Hiei ripped open his biological eyes to glare at the blue-robed demon. "You are mistaken."

Syunsuke shrugged. "He is all but broken. Indeed, I returned his memories and took his innocence a second time," he said, alluding to his raping the fox, "but I never took those memories back. He locked himself away in his mind all on his own. All I did was fuck him."

The mind-demon's rant was half lost on the tentai; all three too focused on his use of words in the first half of his speech. Those words sent them into a lapse of temporary shock and disbelief.

Innocence? A second time?

'_Oh my god…'_ Yusuke whispered as his brown eyes doubled in size. _'Kurama…was a virgin and we- we sent him in there to seduce-'_

Kuwabara felt sick, green with the churning in his stomach as even his relatively slower thoughts picked up on the words Syunsuke had chosen to use.

Hiei was absolutely fuming. Not only had this demon _dared_ to rape the fox, but Kurama had lied to them!

No…that wasn't true. Kurama had never said that he was a virgin, but he'd never denied it either. None of them had asked; none of them thought they had to. Hell, with his human looks and Youko past, the fact that he had been a virgin was…well, frankly, unbelievable.

But the fire demon could hear the truth in the darker haired demon's words and knew that Kurama had lost his human innocence on this mission…this mission which had cost him his memories, his mind, his pride, his thoughts…his love and his hope.

Hiei had seen the tears that streamed from Kurama's face through the Jagan. They were not there in the physical world, but he had seen them in the mental one. The fox was in more pain than any human or demon alike should ever have to face, especially one as kind as he.

And the tears were evident, even to those who could not see the mental world as he could.

The thought that Kurama had said nothing when he knew what he was volunteering for, how this could go wrong and what could happen if it all went right…It angered Hiei but also sent a pang of guilt through his system.

Kurama hadn't told him, hadn't tried to tell him. He knew the fox well enough to know that the fox would have been proud of his innocence. And he would have cared.

Hiei refused to change the expression on his face, but he had the vague feeling that Youko might not have been so lost in mourning when he said that Kurama loved him.

And he wasn't sure which emotion to feel above the other – fear or acceptance.

"You-You fucking bastard!" Kuwabara's scream stopped him from having to decide which to feel at that moment. The detective's sword doubled in size and energy, and he raised it threateningly. "How could you take his- how could you do that to someone like Kurama?!"

"Don't act so innocent, _human_," the demon shot back, his eyes sending a warning to the orange-haired man. "You sent him in as a distraction. Sent the little lamb to the lion's den. Don't blame me for taking the offer."

Kuwabara's fists were shaking violently and the sword began fluctuating just as violently, but he didn't make a move to advance towards the demon that held his friend's life in his hands. Yusuke could see the restraint it was taking him, and sympathized, wanting nothing more than to kill Syunsuke for his words and deeds.

"…Fine, you won," Yusuke growled out, causing his other two companions to look at him in shock and confusion. "You broke him, now give him back."

Syunsuke glanced to the boy, mildly impressed with the mini speech that could hardly be considered a speech, but he merely gave a smug expression. "Now why would I return my pet to owners who obviously don't take good care of him?"

Yusuke frowned at this, confused at how this demon could possibly claim to take better care of Kurama than his friends, who had done nothing to hurt him.

Brown eyes slowly moved over to Hiei, who stood with his eyes suddenly downcast and hands clenched tighter. Blood dripped gently from his wrapped and unwrapped palms to the white floor below, which was no longer so white.

Drip.

Blood dripping.

Hiei had had blood on his hand, though he wouldn't reveal from where it came.

Yusuke looked back to Kurama, eyes scouring over the fox and landing on his wrist. There was a brace on the forearm, wrapped at elbow and wrist, but in between the raven-haired detective could see where that blood had come from.

Hiei's small hand was printed into the kitsune's arm in a scarring burn that had to be third degree worthy. It was blistered and raw, unwrapped and likely to be infected by now. Yusuke looked back to Hiei in shock, but the fire demon was not showing his eyes to any in the room, clearly aware of what he was being accused, and making no move to deny it.

Kuwabara, having noticed the same things, quickly ignored it, choosing to deal with it later. "We're his friends, give him back. There's nothing more you can take from him."

Syunsuke grinned. "You're right. I can't take anything from him…but there is plenty I can take from you three using him."

His hand reached back down to the fox's hair and passed over the crown of his skull, icy cold fingers barely touching the red tresses beneath. Kurama's dull, green eyes shot open, having fallen to a half lidded position but no longer.

A scream ripped from his throat and echoed through the room, replaying the pain in that cry over and over. Pale hands reached up to grab at his head, one injured and twitching as it attempted to do as the muscles commanded but failed from pain and misuse. Kurama's eyes began to water as he doubled over, pressing his skull to the cold white ground.

Screams continued to rip from his throat.

"Kurama!" Hiei screamed out, the first time he'd spoken since removing his warded bandana. He took a step forward, followed by Yusuke and Kuwabara, but all three were halted when the room began to shimmer around them. It was as if the four walls about them were walls of water rather than stone and metal. They were soon swirling with color in a whirlwind as an image began forming around them.

Woods seemed to slowly grow into focus, so real it appeared they were truly within the forested location. It seemed real enough to touch.

Just as Kuwabara reached out his lanky hand to try such a thing, a soft voice called out and froze his movements.

"_That's the thirty-second sigh you've made so far, fire demon."_

Yusuke's eyes widened and he spun back around to look at Kurama, in the center of this wooded image. He was bent over on the ground, still clutching at his head weakly but had fallen silent.

However…that had been his voice. No, more appropriately, it had been the slightly deeper tones of Youko's voice.

"_You know,"_ the voice started again and Yusuke knew that Kurama's mouth had not moved. He looked back around at the forests, but saw only a shallow pond with a trickling waterfall and the moon reaching out above them. _"Yusuke doesn't want me near you…He wouldn't be happy to find you here."_

Hiei's gruff voice answered, but only in the monosyllabic manner for which he was well known.

Yusuke blinked and looked down at the fire demon, whose eyes were still downcast. He certainly didn't have the appearance of one who had just spoken, or made movement or sound of any kind.

Looking back to the shimmering walls around them, he caught sight of something new and his eyes shifted to focus on the fire demon that had just appeared. Like the woods, the smaller demon seemed just as real, standing not far from them on the pebbles of the pond's shore.

Kuwabara's eyes widened in shock and he glanced back from their fire demon to the one in the images and blinked. "Are we…watching Kurama's memory?"

Syunsuke merely smiled as Hiei's head bowed further, hands shaking once more. Yusuke turned his attention back to the walls around them as Youko's voice continued smoothly.

"_What am I to you?"_

They seemed to have missed parts of the memory during their brief talk and realization of what was going on, but Yusuke couldn't see much change that deemed it important.

However, this line would be the explanation for everything, he feared. This would be the memory that started it all and ended with the fox in Syunsuke's hands, a broken wrist, burned flesh, a lost mind.

"_What?" _the gruff but confused voice of the fire demon answered back. _"You're a youko. What are you to anyone else, you idiot?"_

"_That's not what I meant. What am I to you in __**this**__ world? Am I a friend? An enemy? Ally? …Lover?"_

Yusuke didn't miss the hint in that last option along with the faint traces of hope laced into the words. He stole a glance at Hiei but saw nothing except for the flinch of his own reply.

"_Ally."_

It had taken a little while to rouse a response, but the voice seemed rather firm in its decision. Glancing down at the diminutive demon now, it seemed anything but.

"_Well that's one-sided."_

It was Yusuke's turn to flinch at Kurama's muttered revelation and he fisted his hands. "Stop this, Syunsuke!" he growled out, turning back to the illusionist. Kurama was still doubled over, clutching his head in weak attempts to end the pain that was striking through his skull.

But that pain didn't end and Syunsuke didn't stop it. The image shifted gently as it fast-forwarded through the minor speech of their two friends, or so Kuwabara and Yusuke assumed, having no idea what had been exchanged.

The dialogue picked back up suddenly as the picture grew back into focus. Hiei was standing before them and the redheaded fox with the memories of Youko had come into focus as well. It was Kurama's memory, and yet the fox took a three-dimensional roll in it. Yusuke figured it was a feature of Syunsuke's re-enactment of the scenes.

"_I know why I chose to live as a human. Because I wanted to __**live**__, Hiei."_

Yusuke closed his eyes in fear. He had told Kurama those words. He had helped the youko realize why he would later choose to live in a human body rather than to die. And he knew what would come next.

"_And to love again,"_ the voice continued despite the detective's silent begging that it would be silenced, that it wouldn't say the words he knew it would. _"I wanted to know what it was like to be loved. And I found what it is to love, again, Hiei. This soul and this mind love you…but I know that the second part will never be fulfilled. You will never love me. But it isn't fair to keep so much pain inside you, when there is only pain outside as well."_

Kuwabara looked to his fire demon teammate as Youko's voice continued with his speech of love, past and future. Hiei refused to look back at him, though he knew the hiyoukai felt his gaze.

"_Get away from me!"_ The orange-haired detective looked back to the memory in time to see the fire demon shove Youko away from him and slip on the rocks.

"_What would you know?"_ the little demon memory screamed out, and the real Hiei visibly flinched at the anger in his voice. He couldn't look at the screen, knowing what came next better than even the memory did. _"You're just an over-emotional fox crying for a lost boyfriend!"_

Syunsuke gave a low whistle at this as the screen suddenly shifted. "Wow…Even I was amazed at how much pain was in that memory. I could have broken him with that memory alo-"

"Shut up!" Yusuke screamed out after glancing at Hiei. Something in his white knuckled grip on his own clenched fists, his pale and shaking body, and the blood dripping from his chin (where the detective assumed he bit through his lip) sent fear lacing through the raven-haired man.

Hiei wasn't easy to frighten and he wasn't easy to scar or to hurt, but this was beyond anything Yusuke had ever seen him endure, and he'd never seen this kind of reaction before.

Not from their strong, emotionless, and steeled demon.

Syunsuke merely gave a smile of fake sympathy, but it was ignored as it proved obviously false. The walls shimmered once more and began forming a new image.

"No more!" Kuwabara screamed out, swiping his arm out. "Stop it!"

But Syunsuke didn't listen as a voice ripped through the room, echoing out its harshness.

"_What the hell is wrong with you!"_

The image of Hiei pinning Kurama down to the uneven rocks of the pond swam into view. Yusuke tried not to watch, but at the same time he couldn't pull his gaze away.

He didn't want to see the pain of his friend who's memories were all but muted, the obvious agony of his other companion that stood beside him, and the smugness of the demon before them.

The demon that was causing all of this.

Yusuke charged his hand full of spirit energy, but the fox's- the real fox, the one whimpering on the floor- suddenly cried out in pain and he dissipated the ki, glaring full throttle at Syunsuke, who merely tilted his head with a disciplinary glance.

"Don't do that again, Detective," he scolded, holding onto Kurama's shoulder tightly as the fox was forced now to sit upright, tears streaming down his empty face in pain and his body shaking from both sobs and shock.

"_What are you going to do; kill me?"_ Youko's voice spoke again as they missed the words in between. Yusuke clenched his fists but turned back to the memory around them. He blinked as it fluttered. The two figures were in slightly different positions, and they cut in through a sentence.

He assumed they'd skipped time.

"_-but a worthless youko who steals from one half of the Makai and sleeps with the other!"_ Hiei's voice screamed out. _"And now you're claiming that all of this is because you're 'mourning' the loss of a fucking __**boy-toy**__!"_

Yusuke flinched at this as Kuwabara glanced to Hiei, who again showed no response. He turned back to see Youko close his eyes in resignation.

"_You really are nothing."_ His voice was soft, full of sorrow and a deep-laced regret.

The ringing of a sword drawn from a sheath seemed louder than any scream those two memories had ever managed. Kuwabara's eyes widened at the image of Hiei holding a sword to Kurama's throat.

"_And you think you're any better?"_

"_Go ahead, Hiei,"_ the softer voice, now nothing more than a whisper, broke through the dead silence of the room. Yusuke tried to ignore the horror of the resignation in that voice but failed miserably.

He wanted to kill Syunsuke. He wanted to destroy the life that had caused all this – that had done everything possible to break their friends and shatter what little emotion these two demons had been able to cling to.

He wanted to rip him limb from limb.

A sudden weight pressing against his side interrupted his thoughts. He glanced down in surprise to see none other than Hiei leaning against him. That small, childish face was buried in his shirt and his eyes widened at the vulnerability in that movement.

A small clink on the ground and the rolling of a tear gem against his foot was all the motivation he needed.

"St-…STOP IT!" he screamed out in pure rage as his body began to charge with reiki. He ignored Syunsuke's warning glare, he ignored the following screams of Kurama as the fox was punished for Yusuke's threat.

He ignored everything as he pulled his hand into a fist and charged straight at Syunsuke.

-o-o-o-

_Chapter 14_

End

-o-o-o-

Oookay, a really…awkward place to end. But I promised myself to write thirteen pages and…guess what – it's page thirteen.

Anyways, I hope you guys liked it. It's a bit choppy, but I couldn't seem to fix it. Hope it came out pretty naturally in the end.

**Author's notes**:

Really, I'm way to lazy to be writing them, so here ya' go – the abridged version

(Yay...Shadi)

_The image of Hiei and Kurama within Kurama's panoramic memory_: Okay, so basically, Syunsuke has the ability to project memories. Also, with his ability to do this, he can incorporate the owner of said memories into the images. This is why the tentai could see Kurama in his own memory (in normal memories, you'd see through the eyes of the owner, but that would make it really…annoying. Plus, those images make me dizzy and nauseous. And I can't picture this happening as I'm writing because my keyboard doesn't respond well to being thrown up on. 8-

_Hiei's response to Memories: _If you didn't pick up on it – he's finally realized Kurama may actually love him and, despite the fact that he doesn't know how to feel about it, he realizes that he's always cared for the fox in one way or another. It makes him realize how horrible his actions truly were.

_Kurama's broken mind_: He isn't fully broken yet – he has retreated and blockaded himself within his own mental subconscious. That is why he is basically unresponsive.

_Syunsuke's actions on Kurama_: yes, he raped Kurama after returning his memories to him so the fox could** know** who was raping him and for what reason. There's more to it that I hopefully will remember to include next chapter.

_Recap of the last three chapters_: I hope that dialogue didn't bore you, I was trying to make it a little different from what you read, but it's not exactly as if I could change it, considering it was supposed to be a memory of the last three chapters.

**End Author Notes**

And now...

**_Preview for the next chapter_**: Hah, first time I think I've ever included one of those, but why not!

"_I can't see the damage because he won't let me in…" Hiei whispered, refusing to look down on the pale, ailing face below him. "Syunsuke said that he would never recover if we killed him..."_

_Yusuke paled significantly as he glanced away. "I…I didn't know…I'm sorry, Hiei." The detective lifted Kurama's upper half off the hard ground, pulling him against his chest. Yusuke held tightly onto him, propping him up._

_Hiei shook his head. "I don't know if it's true or not. We…we'll have to wait. Let's get out of here," the fire demon responded quietly. Bending down, he ripped the amulet off of the limp, bleeding body and turned, not once looking back._

**_End Preview_**

Yay, for the demise of the main baddy!

Well, hope you all will watch out for the next chapter! Please, do review on your way out!


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